Able seaman vs steersman

The differences between able seamen and steersmen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an able seaman has an average salary of $54,205, which is higher than the $52,020 average annual salary of a steersman.

The top three skills for an able seaman include cargo operations, general maintenance and emergency equipment. The most important skills for a steersman are maintenance tasks, , and .

Able seaman vs steersman overview

	Able Seaman	Steersman
Yearly salary	$54,205	$52,020
Hourly rate	$26.06	$25.01
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	422	455
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	33	33
Years of experience	-	-

Able seaman vs steersman salary

Able seamen and steersmen have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Able Seaman	Steersman
Average salary	$54,205	$52,020
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $130,000	Between $23,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between able seaman and steersman education

There are a few differences between an able seaman and a steersman in terms of educational background:

	Able Seaman	Steersman
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Marine Transportation	Business
Most common college	-	-

Able seaman vs steersman demographics

Here are the differences between able seamen' and steersmen' demographics:

	Able Seaman	Steersman
Average age	33	33
Gender ratio	Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0%	Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 17.3% Unknown, 9.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 4.8% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 9.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 4.0% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between able seaman and steersman duties and responsibilities

Able seaman example responsibilities.

Conduct daily JSA's, occasionally lead weekly fire and boat drills.
Plan and coordinate training sessions on firefighting and lifesaving equipment.
Serve as helmsman: repair and maintain stowing equipment in preparation for underwater operations.
Work on an offshore lift boat providing crane services for third party contractors working on oil wells and platforms.
Serve as helmsman: repair and maintain stowing equipment in preparation for underwater operations.

Steersman example responsibilities.

Conduct daily JSA's, occasionally lead weekly fire and boat drills.
Plan and coordinate training sessions on firefighting and lifesaving equipment.
Serve with responsibility for protecting the environment by ensuring the safe transfer of petrochemicals to vessel, dock, or barge.

Able seaman vs steersman skills

Common able seaman skills

Cargo Operations, 14%
General Maintenance, 9%
Emergency Equipment, 8%
Rig, 7%
Mooring Lines, 6%
Coast Guard, 6%

Common steersman skills

Maintenance Tasks, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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