Merchant marine vs steersman

The differences between merchant marines and steersmen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a merchant marine has an average salary of $59,752, which is higher than the $52,020 average annual salary of a steersman.

The top three skills for a merchant marine include safety procedures, vessel security and diesel engines. The most important skills for a steersman are maintenance tasks, , and .

Merchant marine vs steersman overview

	Merchant Marine	Steersman
Yearly salary	$59,752	$52,020
Hourly rate	$28.73	$25.01
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	11,319	455
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	33	33
Years of experience	-	-

Merchant marine vs steersman salary

Merchant marines and steersmen have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchant Marine	Steersman
Average salary	$59,752	$52,020
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $151,000	Between $23,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between merchant marine and steersman education

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

	Merchant Marine	Steersman
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Merchant marine vs steersman demographics

Here are the differences between merchant marines' and steersmen' demographics:

	Merchant Marine	Steersman
Average age	33	33
Gender ratio	Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2%	Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratio	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%	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 merchant marine and steersman duties and responsibilities

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.

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.

Merchant marine vs steersman skills

Common merchant marine skills

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

Common steersman skills

Maintenance Tasks, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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