Merchant seaman vs marine oiler

The differences between merchant seamen and marine oilers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a merchant seaman has an average salary of $53,140, which is higher than the $52,878 average annual salary of a marine oiler.

The top three skills for a merchant seaman include cargo operations, cranes and general maintenance. The most important skills for a marine oiler are boats, , and .

Merchant seaman vs marine oiler overview

	Merchant Seaman	Marine Oiler
Yearly salary	$53,140	$52,878
Hourly rate	$25.55	$25.42
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	627	10,637
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	33	33
Years of experience	-	-

Merchant seaman vs marine oiler salary

Merchant seamen and marine oilers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchant Seaman	Marine Oiler
Average salary	$53,140	$52,878
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $122,000	Between $24,000 And $112,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between merchant seaman and marine oiler education

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

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

Merchant seaman vs marine oiler demographics

Here are the differences between merchant seamen' and marine oilers' demographics:

	Merchant Seaman	Marine Oiler
Average age	33	33
Gender ratio	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%	Male, 88.0% Female, 12.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 17.3% Unknown, 9.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 4.9% White, 53.5% 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 seaman and marine oiler duties and responsibilities

Merchant seaman example responsibilities.

Conduct daily JSA's, occasionally lead weekly fire and boat drills.
Train in/for basic damage control teams during general quarters and general emergency; shipboard firefighting, controlling compartment flooding.
Serve with responsibility for protecting the environment by ensuring the safe transfer of petrochemicals to vessel, dock, or barge.

Marine oiler example responsibilities.

Manage Longshore persons on a daily basis and ensure job duties are performed in an efficient and safe manner.
Participate in safety drills including basic firefighting drills and lifeboat drills.
Tied/Unty lines and operate boat as required; perform basic and preventative maintenance.
Participate in safety drills including basic firefighting drills and lifeboat drills.

Merchant seaman vs marine oiler skills

Common merchant seaman skills

Cargo Operations, 43%
Cranes, 40%
General Maintenance, 17%

Common marine oiler skills

Boats, 100%

Merchant Seaman vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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