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The differences between ship workers and mates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a ship worker and a mate. Additionally, a mate has an average salary of $38,913, which is higher than the $28,576 average annual salary of a ship worker.
The top three skills for a ship worker include customer orders, safety procedures and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a mate are safety equipment, vessel maintenance, and mates.
| Ship Worker | Mate | |
| Yearly salary | $28,576 | $38,913 |
| Hourly rate | $13.74 | $18.71 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 29,706 | 301 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Ship workers are employees assigned to crew the ship. They may be transferred to cargo ships, cruise ships, or any other sea vessel. Ship workers usually handle a variety of tasks on the boat, depending on their needs. They may be assigned to do the cooking, cleaning, maintenance work, navigation, and security. Ship workers must be familiar with essential maintenance and navigation techniques. They should know how to do repairs on the ship, as well as do basic troubleshooting. They should also be willing to be assigned to different tasks.
A Mate is the seafaring captain's assistant in charge of the ship's welfare and crew on board. The Chief Mate is responsible for leading the team. They stabilize vessel cargo operations as well as deck crew supervision. The Second Mate focuses on navigation aspects such as updating publications and charts, directing line handlers and anchor detail, and training crew members. The Third Mate is a junior qualified watch-stander focusing on ensuring aspects of safety. Their responsibilities include ensuring equipment on board, including lifeboats and gear locker, is safe and operational.
Ship workers and mates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Ship Worker | Mate | |
| Average salary | $28,576 | $38,913 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $42,000 | Between $22,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | - |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | - |
| Best paying company | Katerra | - |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | - |
There are a few differences between a ship worker and a mate in terms of educational background:
| Ship Worker | Mate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between ship workers' and mates' demographics:
| Ship Worker | Mate | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |