Motorboat Operators

Median salary

$47,520

Average salary

$56,270

Employment

2,480

Projected growth

1.4% growth

Annual openings

300

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

What Motorboat Operators Do

Operate small motor-driven boats. May assist in navigational activities.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: Less than 5 years
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 6.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.4/5
English Languageimportance 4.1/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.9/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.8/5
Transportationimportance 3.8/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.5/5
Geographyimportance 3.0/5
Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 2.9/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Frequency of Decision Making5.0/5
Freedom to Make Decisions5.0/5
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.5/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
Health and Safety of Other Workers4.4/5
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.4/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Sailors and Marine Oilers98% skill match
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers97% skill match
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic97% skill match
Floor Sanders and Finishers96% skill match
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals96% skill match
Tree Trimmers and Pruners96% skill match
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall96% skill match
Dredge Operators96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operation and Controlimportance 3.9/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.8/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.4/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Other Software Used

Autopilot software
Cartography software
Echo sounder software
Global positioning system GPS software
Radar software
Roam Devices Roam Marine Monitor Hub
SEA.AI Offshore ONE
Web browser software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Cautiousness
Integrity
Attention to Detail
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control
Cooperation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
EnterprisingMedium
InvestigativeLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.