Merchant marine demographics and statistics in the US
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Merchant marine demographics by:
Merchant marine gender statistics
11.2% of merchant marines are women and 88.8% of merchant marines are men.
- Male, 88.8%
- Female, 11.2%
Merchant marine gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 88.8% |
| Female | 11.2% |
Merchant marine gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$68,783
Female income
$61,643
Merchant marine gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in merchant marine positions over time. Currently, 11.2% of merchant marines are female.
Merchant marine gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 93.29% | 6.71% |
| 2011 | 91.53% | 8.47% |
| 2012 | 93.29% | 6.71% |
| 2013 | 88.27% | 11.73% |
| 2014 | 89.73% | 10.27% |
| 2015 | 90.26% | 9.74% |
| 2016 | 86.20% | 13.80% |
| 2017 | 89.81% | 10.19% |
| 2018 | 88.11% | 11.89% |
| 2019 | 87.75% | 12.25% |
| 2020 | 92.79% | 7.21% |
| 2021 | 88.76% | 11.24% |
Merchant marine related jobs gender ratio
We compared merchant marines with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, barge captain and vessel master have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Relief Master | 17% | 83% |
| Merchant Marine | 89% | 11% |
| Deck Mate | 98% | 2% |
| Vessel Master | 98% | 2% |
| Barge Captain | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Merchant marine demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among merchant marines is White, which makes up 54.0% of all merchant marines. Comparatively, 16.0% of merchant marines are Black or African American and 13.9% of merchant marines are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 54.0%
- Black or African American, 16.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.9%
- Unknown, 9.3%
- Asian, 5.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
Merchant marine race
| Merchant marine race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 54.0% |
| Black or African American | 16.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.9% |
| Unknown | 9.3% |
| Asian | 5.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.8% |
Merchant marine race and ethnicity over time
See how merchant marine racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Merchant marine race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.76% | 13.55% | 5.44% | 10.30% |
| 2011 | 68.91% | 13.54% | 4.20% | 9.69% |
| 2012 | 65.12% | 13.30% | 6.66% | 11.10% |
| 2013 | 67.77% | 11.10% | 4.98% | 11.92% |
| 2014 | 66.20% | 12.73% | 5.25% | 11.79% |
| 2015 | 62.99% | 13.32% | 3.95% | 15.10% |
| 2016 | 65.50% | 12.26% | 5.80% | 11.85% |
| 2017 | 67.51% | 11.89% | 3.95% | 12.72% |
| 2018 | 67.89% | 9.60% | 3.50% | 16.23% |
| 2019 | 65.54% | 11.78% | 6.13% | 13.44% |
| 2020 | 58.14% | 17.66% | 4.87% | 11.48% |
| 2021 | 54.00% | 16.04% | 5.04% | 13.88% |
Merchant marine wage gap by race
According to our data, white merchant marines have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino merchant marines have the lowest average salary at $63,027.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $70,451 |
| White | $73,240 |
| Black or African American | $72,391 |
| Asian | $65,397 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $63,027 |
Average merchant marine age
See how the average age of merchant marines varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Merchant marine age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 22.5 | |
| White | 32 | 41 |
| Black or African American | 36 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 23 |
Merchant marine age breakdown
The average age of merchant marines is 20-30 years years old, representing 38% of the merchant marine population.
Merchant marine age breakdown
| Merchant Marine Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 30% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 38% |
Merchant marine educational attainment
The most common degree for merchant marines is bachelor's degree, with 53% of merchant marines earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 17% and high school diploma degree at 16%.
- Bachelor's, 53%
- High School Diploma, 17%
- Associate, 16%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 8%
Merchant marines by degree level
| Merchant marine degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 53% |
| High School Diploma | 17% |
| Associate | 16% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 8% |
Merchant marine jobs you might like
Merchant marine employment statistics
Most merchant marines work for a private in the transportation industry.
Company size where merchant marines work
Below, you can see the size of companies where merchant marines work.
Merchant marine jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 28% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 14% |
Merchant marine jobs by company type
Employees with the merchant marine job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most merchant marines prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Merchant marine jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 19% |
| Private | 70% |
| Government | 7% |
Merchant marine jobs by industry
The most common industries for merchant marines are transportation, energy and professional.
Merchant marine industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 31% |
| Energy | 9% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Government | 6% |
| Technology | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Real Estate | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Merchant marine turnover and employment statistics
Merchant marine unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for merchant marines between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Merchant marine unemployment rate by year
| Year | Merchant marine unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.61% |
| 2011 | 12.05% |
| 2012 | 11.17% |
| 2013 | 10.20% |
| 2014 | 6.61% |
| 2015 | 6.91% |
| 2016 | 7.92% |
| 2017 | 3.52% |
| 2018 | 4.06% |
| 2019 | 5.52% |
| 2020 | 8.10% |
| 2021 | 5.31% |
Average merchant marine tenure
The average merchant marine stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 362 merchant marines resumes in Zippia's database.
Merchant marine tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 14% |
| 1-2 years | 19% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 10% |
| 11+ years | 25% |
Merchant marine LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of merchant marines that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant Marine | 2.91% | - |
| Lot Attendant | 3.71% | 48,555 |
| Barge Captain | 4.34% | 2,513 |
| Cooker Cleaner | 4.91% | 47,014 |
| Feeder | 5.16% | 695 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,878 |
Similar merchant marine jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Lot Attendant | 3.71% | 48,555 |
| Barge Captain | 4.34% | 2,513 |
| Cooker Cleaner | 4.91% | 47,014 |
| Feeder | 5.16% | 695 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,878 |
Foreign languages spoken by merchant marines
The most common foreign language among merchant marines is Spanish at 38.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Portuguese at 15.4% and Zulu is the third-most popular at 7.7%.
- Spanish, 38.5%
- Portuguese, 15.4%
- Zulu, 7.7%
- French, 7.7%
- Hindi, 7.7%
- Other, 23.0%
Merchant marine languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 38.5% |
| Portuguese | 15.4% |
| Zulu | 7.7% |
| French | 7.7% |
| Hindi | 7.7% |
| Other | 23.0% |