Sailors and Marine Oilers
What Sailors and Marine Oilers Do
Stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot. Break out, rig, overhaul, and store cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, and running gear. Perform a variety of maintenance tasks to preserve the painted surface of the ship and to maintain line and ship equipment. Must hold government-issued certification and tankerman certification when working aboard liquid-carrying vessels. Includes able seamen and ordinary seamen.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job 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.
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.2/5
- Transportationimportance 3.1/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.0/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.0/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
- English Languageimportance 2.9/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.8/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable5.0/5
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.9/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.6/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.5/5
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.
- Motorboat Operators98% skill match
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand97% skill match
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic97% skill match
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals96% skill match
- Printing Press Operators96% skill match
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators95% skill match
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers95% skill match
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.9/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.6/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.1/5
- Repairingimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- KNMI TurboWin
- Kongsberg Maritime K-Log Deck Logbook
- Log book software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
- Cooperation
- Adaptability
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where sailors and marine oilers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA126.18× national avg
- 2Paducah, KY-IL104.67× national avg
- 3New Orleans-Metairie, LA21.42× national avg
- 4Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC18.24× national avg
- 5Baton Rouge, LA15.73× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Dredge OperatorsLateral Move
- Motorboat OperatorsLateral Move
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and GasCareer Change
- Roustabouts, Oil and GasCareer Change