Ordinary seaman vs merchant marine

The differences between ordinary seamen and merchant marines 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 $52,664 average annual salary of an ordinary seaman.

The top three skills for an ordinary seaman include vessel maintenance, safety equipment and ladders. The most important skills for a merchant marine are safety procedures, vessel security, and diesel engines.

Ordinary seaman vs merchant marine overview

	Ordinary Seaman	Merchant Marine
Yearly salary	$52,664	$59,752
Hourly rate	$25.32	$28.73
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	169	11,319
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	33	33
Years of experience	-	-

Ordinary seaman vs merchant marine salary

Ordinary seamen and merchant marines have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Ordinary Seaman	Merchant Marine
Average salary	$52,664	$59,752
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $120,000	Between $23,000 And $151,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between ordinary seaman and merchant marine education

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

	Ordinary Seaman	Merchant Marine
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Ordinary seaman vs merchant marine demographics

Here are the differences between ordinary seamen' and merchant marines' demographics:

	Ordinary Seaman	Merchant Marine
Average age	33	33
Gender ratio	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%	Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 17.4% Unknown, 9.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 4.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	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%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between ordinary seaman and merchant marine duties and responsibilities

Ordinary seaman example responsibilities.

Conduct daily JSA's, occasionally lead weekly fire and boat drills.
Clean hulls, keel, rudder, props.
Conduct drills according to protocols specify by the USCG.
Acquire all extracurricular IMO and USCG certifications, self-bankrol.
Prime and paint the decks with fresh coats of paint.
Conduct drills, demonstrations of hydraulics, pump operations and firefighting techniques.

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.

Ordinary seaman vs merchant marine skills

Common ordinary seaman skills

Vessel Maintenance, 20%
Safety Equipment, 12%
Ladders, 9%
TWIC, 8%
Mooring Lines, 7%
Stcw, 6%

Common merchant marine skills

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

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Ordinary Seaman
Ordinary Seaman vs Merchant Marine

Updated January 8, 2025

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