Seaman vs merchant marine

The differences between 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 $55,413 average annual salary of a seaman.

The top three skills for a seaman include safety equipment, navigational aids and coast guard. The most important skills for a merchant marine are safety procedures, vessel security, and diesel engines.

Seaman vs merchant marine overview

	Seaman	Merchant Marine
Yearly salary	$55,413	$59,752
Hourly rate	$26.64	$28.73
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	174	11,319
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	33	33
Years of experience	-	-

Seaman vs merchant marine salary

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

	Seaman	Merchant Marine
Average salary	$55,413	$59,752
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $136,000	Between $23,000 And $151,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between seaman and merchant marine education

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

	Seaman	Merchant Marine
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Seaman vs merchant marine demographics

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

	Seaman	Merchant Marine
Average age	33	33
Gender ratio	Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1%	Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.9% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%	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 seaman and merchant marine duties and responsibilities

Seaman example responsibilities.

Conduct daily JSA's, occasionally lead weekly fire and boat drills.
Help in the safe operation of deploying and recovering small boats in the events of coast guard search and seizures.
Maintain first aid and CPR certifications.
Navigate by using several different types of compasses.
Perform supply loading duties from dock using booms and cranes.
Work as a seaman in the USCG preparing for a USCG rating/career

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.

Seaman vs merchant marine skills

Common seaman skills

Safety Equipment, 23%
Navigational Aids, 10%
Coast Guard, 9%
Law Enforcement, 9%
CPR, 6%
Firefighting, 4%

Common merchant marine skills

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