Sailor demographics and statistics in the US
On this page
Sailor demographics by:
Sailor gender statistics
18.9% of sailors are women and 81.1% of sailors are men.
- Male, 81.1%
- Female, 18.9%
Sailor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 81.1% |
| Female | 18.9% |
Sailor gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$53,363
Female income
$48,936
Sailor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sailor positions over time. Currently, 18.9% of sailors are female.
Sailor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 88.33% | 11.67% |
| 2011 | 85.48% | 14.52% |
| 2012 | 88.33% | 11.67% |
| 2013 | 80.39% | 19.61% |
| 2014 | 82.64% | 17.36% |
| 2015 | 83.47% | 16.53% |
| 2016 | 77.28% | 22.72% |
| 2017 | 82.75% | 17.25% |
| 2018 | 80.14% | 19.86% |
| 2019 | 79.60% | 20.40% |
| 2020 | 87.51% | 12.49% |
| 2021 | 81.13% | 18.87% |
Sailor related jobs gender ratio
We compared sailors 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% |
| Sailor | 81% | 19% |
| Deck Mate | 98% | 2% |
| Vessel Master | 98% | 2% |
| Barge Captain | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Sailor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sailors is White, which makes up 54.8% of all sailors. Comparatively, 15.0% of sailors are Black or African American and 13.9% of sailors are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 54.8%
- Black or African American, 15.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.9%
- Unknown, 9.5%
- Asian, 5.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
Sailor race
| Sailor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 54.8% |
| Black or African American | 15.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.9% |
| Unknown | 9.5% |
| Asian | 5.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.8% |
Sailor race and ethnicity over time
See how sailor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sailor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.55% | 12.55% | 5.44% | 10.31% |
| 2011 | 69.70% | 12.55% | 4.20% | 9.69% |
| 2012 | 65.91% | 12.30% | 6.66% | 11.11% |
| 2013 | 68.57% | 10.10% | 4.98% | 11.92% |
| 2014 | 66.99% | 11.73% | 5.25% | 11.79% |
| 2015 | 63.78% | 12.32% | 3.95% | 15.10% |
| 2016 | 66.29% | 11.26% | 5.80% | 11.85% |
| 2017 | 68.31% | 10.90% | 3.95% | 12.72% |
| 2018 | 68.68% | 8.60% | 3.51% | 16.23% |
| 2019 | 66.33% | 10.78% | 6.13% | 13.45% |
| 2020 | 58.93% | 16.67% | 4.88% | 11.48% |
| 2021 | 54.79% | 15.04% | 5.04% | 13.88% |
Sailor wage gap by race
According to our data, white sailors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino sailors have the lowest average salary at $49,802.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,383 |
| White | $56,077 |
| Black or African American | $55,562 |
| Asian | $51,276 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $49,802 |
Average sailor age
See how the average age of sailors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sailor 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 |
Sailor age breakdown
The average age of sailors is 20-30 years years old, representing 38% of the sailor population.
Sailor age breakdown
| Sailor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 30% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 38% |
Sailor educational attainment
The most common degree for sailors is bachelor's degree, with 38% of sailors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 37% and high school diploma degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 38%
- High School Diploma, 37%
- Associate, 12%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Sailors by degree level
| Sailor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 38% |
| High School Diploma | 37% |
| Associate | 12% |
| Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Sailor jobs you might like
Sailor employment statistics
Company size where sailors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sailors work.
Sailor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 31% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 8% |
Sailor turnover and employment statistics
Sailor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sailors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sailor unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sailor 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 sailor tenure
The average sailor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 538 sailors resumes in Zippia's database.
Sailor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 20% |
| 1-2 years | 22% |
| 3-4 years | 30% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Sailor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sailors 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sailor | 2.91% | - |
| Valet Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 46,347 |
| Ferry Boat Pilot | 4.34% | 3,043 |
| Packer | 4.53% | 19,418 |
| Detail Technician | 4.91% | 10,951 |
| Ship Steward | 15.05% | 42,173 |
| Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,878 |
Similar sailor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Valet Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 46,347 |
| Ferry Boat Pilot | 4.34% | 3,043 |
| Packer | 4.53% | 19,418 |
| Detail Technician | 4.91% | 10,951 |
| Ship Steward | 15.05% | 42,173 |
| Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,878 |
Foreign languages spoken by sailors
The most common foreign language among sailors is Spanish at 37.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 14.8% and French is the third-most popular at 11.1%.
- Spanish, 37.0%
- German, 14.8%
- French, 11.1%
- Arabic, 11.1%
- Chinese, 7.4%
- Other, 18.6%
Sailor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 37.0% |
| German | 14.8% |
| French | 11.1% |
| Arabic | 11.1% |
| Chinese | 7.4% |
| Other | 18.6% |