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What is a third class petty officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a third class petty officer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.68 an hour? That's $38,861 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 38,000 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreThird Class Petty OfficerUS Average
Salary
3.0

Avg. Salary $38,861

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.6

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.58%

Asian 5.57%

Black or African American 12.04%

Hispanic or Latino 20.23%

Unknown 5.30%

White 55.27%

Gender

female 24.21%

male 75.79%

Age - 43
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 - 43
Stress level
8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
4.9

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.4

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Third class petty officer career paths

Key steps to become a third class petty officer

  1. Explore third class petty officer education requirements

    Most common third class petty officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    36.2 %

    High School Diploma

    30.1 %

    Associate

    23.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific third class petty officer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Preventive Maintenance8.81%
    Sailors6.19%
    Law Enforcement5.67%
    Hazardous Materials4.77%
    CPR4.35%
  3. Complete relevant third class petty officer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New third class petty officers 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 third class petty officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real third class petty officer resumes.
  4. Research third class petty officer duties and responsibilities

    • Implement logistics support and material plan to manage advance shipment of hazardous goods to area of responsibility.
    • Observe, record, and aid flight deck operations on board the USS George H.W.
    • Utilize schematics and wiring diagrams to successfully troubleshoot and repair faulty electrical systems.
    • Identify and requisition divisional production requirements for thousands of sailors resulting in a mission ready flight deck.
  5. Prepare your third class petty officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your third class petty officer 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 third class petty officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable third class petty officer resume templates

    Build a professional third class petty officer 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 third class petty officer resume.
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
    Third Class Petty Officer Resume
  6. Apply for third class petty officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a third class petty officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first third class petty officer job

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Average third class petty officer salary

The average third class petty officer salary in the United States is $38,861 per year or $19 per hour. Third class petty officer salaries range between $24,000 and $60,000 per year.

Average third class petty officer salary
$38,861 Yearly
$18.68 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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