Deck seaman vs merchant marine

The differences between deck seamen and merchant marines can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a deck seaman has an average salary of $60,197, which is higher than the $59,752 average annual salary of a merchant marine.

The top three skills for a deck seaman include helm, safety equipment and boats. The most important skills for a merchant marine are safety procedures, vessel security, and diesel engines.

Deck seaman vs merchant marine overview

	Deck Seaman	Merchant Marine
Yearly salary	$60,197	$59,752
Hourly rate	$28.94	$28.73
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	476	11,319
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	33	33
Years of experience	-	-

Deck seaman vs merchant marine salary

Deck seamen and merchant marines have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Deck Seaman	Merchant Marine
Average salary	$60,197	$59,752
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $152,000	Between $23,000 And $151,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between deck seaman and merchant marine education

There are a few differences between a deck seaman and a merchant marine in terms of educational background:

	Deck Seaman	Merchant Marine
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Deck seaman vs merchant marine demographics

Here are the differences between deck seamen' and merchant marines' demographics:

	Deck Seaman	Merchant Marine
Average age	33	33
Gender ratio	Male, 84.7% Female, 15.3%	Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 9.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 5.0% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%	Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 9.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between deck seaman and merchant marine duties and responsibilities

Deck seaman example responsibilities.

Conduct daily JSA's, occasionally lead weekly fire and boat drills.
Utilize GPS, GIS, side scan sonar, and multibeam sonar technologies.
Operate, maintain and repair ship equipment such as winches, cranes, lines, wires, etc.
Participate in firefighting and damage control exercises.
Perform damage control and emergency firefighting prevention.
Qualify to maintain, troubleshoot and repair navigation, communications and radar electronics.

Merchant marine example responsibilities.

Manage the logistics and operation of 23 work centers locate at five separate sites in a dynamic operational environment.
Operate and maintain firefighting safety equipment and maintain ships operational condition.
Ensure that the facilities capabilities are complimentary to the task request by FEMA logistics.
Develop and present briefings to management and senior leadership.
Organize multiple emergency airlifts of repair parts and ammunition under stressful combat conditions.
Establish valuable links with receiving combat units and ensure accurate delivery of critical supplies.

Deck seaman vs merchant marine skills

Common deck seaman skills

Helm, 17%
Safety Equipment, 17%
Boats, 9%
Load Cargo, 8%
Shipboard Equipment, 4%
Navigational Aids, 3%

Common merchant marine skills

Safety Procedures, 29%
Vessel Security, 17%
Diesel Engines, 14%
Cargo Operations, 10%
Deck Hand, 9%
USCG, 5%

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Transportation Industry
Deck Seaman
Deck Seaman vs Merchant Marine

Updated January 8, 2025

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