How To Become A Ship Joiner: What It Is and Career Path

What is a ship joiner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A ship joiner is a skilled tradesperson who works in the shipbuilding industry. They are responsible for creating and installing the wooden structures that make up the interior of a ship, including decks, bulkheads, and furniture. They must ensure that everything is built to exact specifications and meets strict safety standards. Ship joiners must have a keen eye for detail, excellent problem-solving skills, and the ability to work well under pressure.

ScoreShip JoinerUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,942

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.16%

Asian 1.63%

Black or African American 7.54%

Hispanic or Latino 23.13%

Unknown 4.69%

White 61.86%

Gender

female 16.25%

male 83.75%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a ship joiner?

Pros

High demand
Opportunity to work on various types of ships and vessels
Good pay and benefits
Chance to travel to different ports around the world
Job security due to the ongoing need for ship maintenance and repair

Cons

Physically demanding work
Exposure to harsh weather conditions and hazardous materials
Long hours and irregular schedules, including overnight shifts
High stress environment with tight deadlines and strict safety regulations
Work may require extended periods away from home and family

Key steps to become a ship joiner

Explore ship joiner education requirements

Most common ship joiner degrees

High School Diploma

33.3 %

Bachelor's

26.3 %

Associate

13.1 %

Start to develop specific ship joiner skills

Skills	Percentages
OSHA	31.66%
Shop Drawings	19.61%
Plumbing	17.68%
Hand Tools	9.82%
Door Frames	4.81%

Complete relevant ship joiner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New ship joiners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a ship joiner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real ship joiner resumes.

Research ship joiner duties and responsibilities

Certify welder GMAW, SMAW, FCAW.
Erect ladders and scaffolding to fit together large assemblies.
Perform MIG welding on mild steel and stainless steel including plate, pipe and screen.
Fabricate belt guard aluminum and stainless steel coupling guards, pipe supports, pipe clamps and operate an overhead crane.

Prepare your ship joiner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your ship joiner resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a ship joiner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable ship joiner resume templates

Build a professional ship joiner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your ship joiner resume.