Fishing vessel deckhand vs boat officer

The differences between fishing vessel deckhands and boat officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a fishing vessel deckhand and a boat officer. Additionally, a fishing vessel deckhand has an average salary of $50,292, which is higher than the $37,486 average annual salary of a boat officer.

The top three skills for a fishing vessel deckhand include general maintenance, booms and coast guard. The most important skills for a boat officer are safety equipment, , and .

Fishing vessel deckhand vs boat officer overview

	Fishing Vessel Deckhand	Boat Officer
Yearly salary	$50,292	$37,486
Hourly rate	$24.18	$18.02
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	330	56,003
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Master's Degree, 50%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Fishing vessel deckhand vs boat officer salary

Fishing vessel deckhands and boat officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fishing Vessel Deckhand	Boat Officer
Average salary	$50,292	$37,486
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $121,000	Between $23,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Channelview, TX	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	American Commercial Lines	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fishing vessel deckhand and boat officer education

There are a few differences between a fishing vessel deckhand and a boat officer in terms of educational background:

	Fishing Vessel Deckhand	Boat Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Master's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Management	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Fishing vessel deckhand vs boat officer demographics

Here are the differences between fishing vessel deckhands' and boat officers' demographics:

	Fishing Vessel Deckhand	Boat Officer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 84.7% Female, 15.3%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 6.0% White, 73.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 6.0%	Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 5.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 8.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between fishing vessel deckhand and boat officer duties and responsibilities

Fishing vessel deckhand example responsibilities.

Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve successful whole shipments of wild Alaskan salmofrozen and gut.
Maintain boat {change oil, lube, paint, gear work, etc .. }
Operate navigational instruments such as GPS and depth sounders.
Tie vessel to barges and boats to be transport to various locations.
Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve successful whole shipments of wild Alaskan salmofrozen and gut.
Assist with all aspects of the supply boat's operation and maintenance.

Boat officer example responsibilities.

Coordinate and schedule routine and emergency maintenance of the unit's small boats.
Staff positions including safety and standardization, maintenance and logistics.
Serve as a trainer instructing prospective coxswains and crewmen on tactical boat policies and procedures.
Monitor operations to consistently meet BP requirements.

Fishing vessel deckhand vs boat officer skills

Common fishing vessel deckhand skills

General Maintenance, 43%
Booms, 29%
Coast Guard, 28%

Common boat officer skills

Safety Equipment, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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