Vessel operator vs owner/operator

The differences between vessel operators and owner/operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a vessel operator, becoming an owner/operator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an owner/operator has an average salary of $167,288, which is higher than the $51,409 average annual salary of a vessel operator.

The top three skills for a vessel operator include USCG, TWIC and safety equipment. The most important skills for an owner/operator are CDL, PET, and customer service.

Vessel operator vs owner/operator overview

	Vessel Operator	Owner/Operator
Yearly salary	$51,409	$167,288
Hourly rate	$24.72	$80.43
Growth rate	1%	4%
Number of jobs	29,922	119,599
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	42	48
Years of experience	4	2

Vessel operator vs owner/operator salary

Vessel operators and owner/operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Vessel Operator	Owner/Operator
Average salary	$51,409	$167,288
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $103,000	Between $105,000 And $264,000
Highest paying City	-	Bridgeport, CT
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Reddy Ice
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between vessel operator and owner/operator education

There are a few differences between a vessel operator and an owner/operator in terms of educational background:

	Vessel Operator	Owner/Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Vessel operator vs owner/operator demographics

Here are the differences between vessel operators' and owner/operators' demographics:

	Vessel Operator	Owner/Operator
Average age	42	48
Gender ratio	Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4%	Male, 66.8% Female, 33.2%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 3.6% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	4%

Differences between vessel operator and owner/operator duties and responsibilities

Vessel operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Monitor combat missions through satellite and computer global positioning systems in order to prepare accurate reports for unit commanders.
Master of ATB, hawser tug/barge combinations operating worldwide and GOM.

Owner/operator example responsibilities.

Create and manage a free subscription, advertising- base facsimile publication and franchising system.
Manage all inventory for eBay store, including its labeling, storage, sales, and overall organization.
Design, implement and manage processes base on ITIL best practices, standards and relate support tools across the organization.
Direct daily operations of four profit centers, managing all financial functions to include A/R, A/P, payroll and purchasing.
Create and manage print and electronic co-op advertising program
Manage end to end business operations including hiring, scheduling visits, conducting customer consultations and performing pet visits.

Vessel operator vs owner/operator skills

Common vessel operator skills

USCG, 32%
TWIC, 26%
Safety Equipment, 13%
Coast Guard, 11%
Logistics, 7%
Skimmers, 7%

Common owner/operator skills

CDL, 57%
PET, 16%
Customer Service, 12%
Payroll, 4%
Human Resources, 1%
Windows, 1%

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Transportation Industry
Vessel Operator
Vessel Operator vs Owner/Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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