Second mate vs navigation officer

The differences between second mates and navigation officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a second mate and a navigation officer. Additionally, a second mate has an average salary of $51,304, which is higher than the $36,717 average annual salary of a navigation officer.

The top three skills for a second mate include safety equipment, USCG and cargo operations. The most important skills for a navigation officer are safety equipment, cargo operations, and navigation equipment.

Second mate vs navigation officer overview

	Second Mate	Navigation Officer
Yearly salary	$51,304	$36,717
Hourly rate	$24.67	$17.65
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	454	55,656
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Second mate vs navigation officer salary

Second mates and navigation officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Second Mate	Navigation Officer
Average salary	$51,304	$36,717
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $134,000	Between $19,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between second mate and navigation officer education

There are a few differences between a second mate and a navigation officer in terms of educational background:

	Second Mate	Navigation Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Marine Transportation	Marine Transportation
Most common college	-	-

Second mate vs navigation officer demographics

Here are the differences between second mates' and navigation officers' demographics:

	Second Mate	Navigation Officer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5%	Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between second mate and navigation officer duties and responsibilities

Second mate example responsibilities.

Work closely with surveyors, clients and ROV supervisors to achieve safe and effective subsea operations.
Plan and execute engineering missions, both combat and construction.
Inspect and maintain the vessel s safety, firefighting, and medical equipment.
Conduct all safety, firefighting, and lifesaving equipment inspections.
Supervise intermediate and depot level electrical maintenance of F-18F aircraft as well as maintained HAZMAT and tool inventory including ordering and labeling
Provide daily maintenance and electronics repair of mission critical navigational, and avionics communication systems; troubleshooting and analysis.

Navigation officer example responsibilities.

Trained/Mentore multiple junior officers in dynamic positioning, ballast control, and seamanship.
Administer the company/client relationship particularly in the areas of safety and budget expectations.

Second mate vs navigation officer skills

Common second mate skills

Safety Equipment, 23%
USCG, 11%
Cargo Operations, 9%
Radar, 5%
Electrical Systems, 5%
Diesel Generators, 4%

Common navigation officer skills

Safety Equipment, 49%
Cargo Operations, 14%
Navigation Equipment, 13%
Vessel Operations, 13%
Logistics, 6%
GPS, 5%

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Second Mate
Second Mate vs Navigation Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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