Merchant seaman demographics and statistics in the US
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Merchant seaman demographics by:
Merchant seaman gender statistics
5.7% of merchant seamen are women and 94.3% of merchant seamen are men.
- Male, 94.3%
- Female, 5.7%
Merchant seaman gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 94.3% |
| Female | 5.7% |
Merchant seaman gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$60,310
Female income
$54,651
Merchant seaman gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in merchant seaman positions over time. Currently, 5.7% of merchant seamen are female.
Merchant seaman gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 96.69% | 3.31% |
| 2011 | 95.79% | 4.21% |
| 2012 | 96.69% | 3.31% |
| 2013 | 94.06% | 5.94% |
| 2014 | 94.84% | 5.16% |
| 2015 | 95.12% | 4.88% |
| 2016 | 92.92% | 7.08% |
| 2017 | 94.88% | 5.12% |
| 2018 | 93.97% | 6.03% |
| 2019 | 93.77% | 6.23% |
| 2020 | 96.44% | 3.56% |
| 2021 | 94.32% | 5.68% |
Merchant seaman related jobs gender ratio
We compared merchant seamen 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 Seaman | 94% | 6% |
| 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 seaman demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among merchant seamen is White, which makes up 53.5% of all merchant seamen. Comparatively, 17.3% of merchant seamen are Black or African American and 13.2% of merchant seamen are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 53.5%
- Black or African American, 17.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.2%
- Unknown, 9.3%
- Asian, 4.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
Merchant seaman race
| Merchant seaman race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 53.5% |
| Black or African American | 17.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.2% |
| Unknown | 9.3% |
| Asian | 4.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.8% |
Merchant seaman race and ethnicity over time
See how merchant seaman racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Merchant seaman race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.31% | 14.86% | 5.25% | 9.64% |
| 2011 | 68.46% | 14.85% | 4.02% | 9.02% |
| 2012 | 64.66% | 14.61% | 6.47% | 10.44% |
| 2013 | 67.32% | 12.41% | 4.79% | 11.26% |
| 2014 | 65.74% | 14.04% | 5.06% | 11.12% |
| 2015 | 62.54% | 14.63% | 3.76% | 14.44% |
| 2016 | 65.04% | 13.56% | 5.62% | 11.19% |
| 2017 | 67.06% | 13.20% | 3.76% | 12.06% |
| 2018 | 67.43% | 10.91% | 3.32% | 15.57% |
| 2019 | 65.09% | 13.09% | 5.94% | 12.78% |
| 2020 | 57.68% | 18.97% | 4.69% | 10.82% |
| 2021 | 53.55% | 17.35% | 4.86% | 13.21% |
Merchant seaman wage gap by race
According to our data, white merchant seamen have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino merchant seamen have the lowest average salary at $55,752.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $61,623 |
| White | $63,812 |
| Black or African American | $63,146 |
| Asian | $57,634 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $55,752 |
Average merchant seaman age
See how the average age of merchant seamen varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Merchant seaman 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 seaman age breakdown
The average age of merchant seamen is 20-30 years years old, representing 38% of the merchant seaman population.
Merchant seaman age breakdown
| Merchant Seaman Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 30% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 38% |
Merchant seaman educational attainment
The most common degree for merchant seamen is high school diploma, with 50% of merchant seamen earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 21% and bachelor's degree degree at 21%.
- High School Diploma, 50%
- Bachelor's, 21%
- Associate, 21%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Merchant seamen by degree level
| Merchant seaman degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 50% |
| Bachelor's | 21% |
| Associate | 21% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Merchant seaman jobs you might like
Merchant seaman employment statistics
Most merchant seamen work for a private in the transportation industry.
Company size where merchant seamen work
Below, you can see the size of companies where merchant seamen work.
Merchant seaman jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 9% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 50% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
Merchant seaman jobs by company type
Employees with the merchant seaman job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most merchant seamen prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Merchant seaman jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 19% |
| Private | 71% |
Merchant seaman jobs by industry
The most common industries for merchant seamen are transportation, professional and finance.
Merchant seaman industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 35% |
| Professional | 13% |
| Finance | 9% |
| Energy | 9% |
| Education | 9% |
| Media | 4% |
| Real Estate | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Construction | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Internet | 4% |
Merchant seaman turnover and employment statistics
Merchant seaman unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for merchant seamen between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Merchant seaman unemployment rate by year
| Year | Merchant seaman 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 seaman tenure
The average merchant seaman stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 110 merchant seamen resumes in Zippia's database.
Merchant seaman tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 13% |
| 1-2 years | 19% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 33% |
Merchant seaman LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of merchant seamen 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 Seaman | 2.91% | - |
| Valet Attendant | 3.71% | 45,768 |
| Commercial Boat Captain | 4.34% | 29,342 |
| Washer | 4.91% | 37,789 |
| Feeder | 5.16% | 695 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,878 |
Similar merchant seaman jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Valet Attendant | 3.71% | 45,768 |
| Commercial Boat Captain | 4.34% | 29,342 |
| Washer | 4.91% | 37,789 |
| Feeder | 5.16% | 695 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,878 |
Foreign languages spoken by merchant seamen
- Russian, 50.0%
- Norwegian, 50.0%
Merchant seaman languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Russian | 50.0% |
| Norwegian | 50.0% |