Deckhand vs deck cadet

The differences between deckhands and deck cadets can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a deck cadet has an average salary of $60,751, which is higher than the $56,163 average annual salary of a deckhand.

The top three skills for a deckhand include TWIC, vessel maintenance and mooring lines. The most important skills for a deck cadet are cargo operations, safety inspections, and safety equipment.

Deckhand vs deck cadet overview

	Deckhand	Deck Cadet
Yearly salary	$56,163	$60,751
Hourly rate	$27.00	$29.21
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	500	290
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	33	33
Years of experience	-	-

Deckhand vs deck cadet salary

Deckhands and deck cadets have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Deckhand	Deck Cadet
Average salary	$56,163	$60,751
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $145,000	Between $22,000 And $164,000
Highest paying City	Bayonne, NJ	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Enterprise Products Partners	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between deckhand and deck cadet education

There are a few differences between a deckhand and a deck cadet in terms of educational background:

	Deckhand	Deck Cadet
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Business	Marine Transportation
Most common college	-	-

Deckhand vs deck cadet demographics

Here are the differences between deckhands' and deck cadets' demographics:

	Deckhand	Deck Cadet
Average age	33	33
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.9% Unknown, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 4.8% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%	Black or African American, 14.7% Unknown, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between deckhand and deck cadet duties and responsibilities

Deckhand example responsibilities.

Conduct daily JSA's, occasionally lead weekly fire and boat drills.
Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve successful whole shipments of wild Alaskan salmofrozen and gut.
Qualify shipboard firefighting and water survival, certify CPR human resources.
Maintain working order of multiple boats including water taxis, ferries, yachts, and passenger vessels.
Comply with all environmental and CFR regulations.
Sign DOI and go over pretransfer procedures.

Deck cadet example responsibilities.

Advance training in firefighting and safety, as well as additional safety, emergency response and first aid training.
Aid logistics officer to purchase uniform and performance items.
Gain tactical experience working with elements ranging from platoon size elements.
Maintain and assure accountability of all platoon level equipment and personnel.
Assist in planning, coordinating and executing of tributes to combat readiness by promoting efficient communication.
Enroll in rigorous leadership training program, physically and mentally condition to develop potential for service to national security strategies.

Deckhand vs deck cadet skills

Common deckhand skills

TWIC, 9%
Vessel Maintenance, 9%
Mooring Lines, 8%
Ladders, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
USCG, 6%

Common deck cadet skills

Cargo Operations, 26%
Safety Inspections, 24%
Safety Equipment, 11%
USCG, 7%
Docking, 7%
Emergency Drills, 5%

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Cadet responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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