Third mate vs second officer

The differences between third mates and second 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 third mate and a second officer. Additionally, a third mate has an average salary of $61,803, which is higher than the $50,426 average annual salary of a second officer.

The top three skills for a third mate include safety equipment, USCG and hazardous materials. The most important skills for a second officer are safety equipment, vessel operations, and chart corrections.

Third mate vs second officer overview

	Third Mate	Second Officer
Yearly salary	$61,803	$50,426
Hourly rate	$29.71	$24.24
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	383	55,822
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Third mate vs second officer salary

Third mates and second officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Third Mate	Second Officer
Average salary	$61,803	$50,426
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $171,000	Between $22,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between third mate and second officer education

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

	Third Mate	Second Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Marine Transportation	Marine Transportation
Most common college	-	-

Third mate vs second officer demographics

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

	Third Mate	Second Officer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0%	Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between third mate and second officer duties and responsibilities

Third mate example responsibilities.

Work closely with surveyors, clients and ROV supervisors to achieve safe and effective subsea operations.
Develop and implement procedures for LNG cargo transfer and ballast operations.
Trained/Mentore multiple junior officers in dynamic positioning, ballast control, and seamanship.
Develop and implement procedures for LNG cargo transfer and ballast operations.

Second officer example responsibilities.

Comply with stringent local, federal, USCG and international regulations.
Train, direct and supervise ship operators in proper and effective use of GPS, radar and radio equipment while underway.
Operate flight instruments, navigation systems and radar equipment on C-130E aircraft.
Conform and build training requirements that meets or exceeds OSHA and CFR guidelines.
Trained/Mentore multiple junior officers in dynamic positioning, ballast control, and seamanship.
Develop and implement procedures for LNG cargo transfer and ballast operations.

Third mate vs second officer skills

Common third mate skills

Safety Equipment, 29%
USCG, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 7%
Mooring Lines, 7%
PIC, 7%
Coast Guard, 6%

Common second officer skills

Safety Equipment, 37%
Vessel Operations, 24%
Chart Corrections, 5%
USCG, 5%
Emergency Equipment, 5%
GPS, 5%

Third Mate vs. similar jobs

Third Mate related careers

Third Mate related jobs

What similar roles do

Ship Worker responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs