The median pay for Sailors and Marine Oilers is $51,520 a year ($24.77/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.2% through 2035, with about 3,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 53-5011
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Sailor and Marine Oiler in four numbers
- Median pay
- $51,520a year, or $24.77/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $35KTop 10% $84K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.2%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,60033,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202533K
- Projected 203534.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 33K Projected 2035 34.1K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: AB Seaman (Able Bodied Seaman), AB Watchman (Able Bodied Watchman), Able Seaman, Deck Hand, Deckhand, Deckhand Engineer.
Pay
How much do Sailors and Marine Oilers make?
Every sailor and marine oiler in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$51,520
Middle half earn $41,430 to $67,590
- 10th
- $34,560
- 25th
- $41,430
- 75th
- $67,590
- 90th
- $83,620
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $34,560 |
| 25th | $41,430 |
| Median | $51,520 |
| 75th | $67,590 |
| 90th | $83,620 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $51,520
- Median hourly wage
- $24.77/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $56,830
- People employed
- 31,670
Versus all US occupations
At $51,520, the median for Sailors and Marine Oilers sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 18% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $83,620 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,560, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 24% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Hawaii pays the most at $76,140, and still leads at $69,249 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Sailors and Marine Oilers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hawaii | $76,140 | $69,249 | 340 |
| 2New Jersey | $71,880 | $66,063 | 520 |
| 3Oregon | $70,410 | $68,120 | 210 |
| 4Washington | $66,700 | $62,329 | 1,590 |
| 5Alaska | $63,130 | $61,675 | 480 |
| 6Tennessee | $60,580 | $65,941 | 870 |
| 7Delaware | $60,040 | $60,155 | 80 |
| 8Florida | $57,930 | $56,018 | 2,710 |
| 9Minnesota | $56,680 | $57,473 | 90 |
| 10Indiana | $56,570 | $60,614 | 570 |
Job outlook
Is Sailor and Marine Oiler a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sailors and Marine Oilers | +3.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Sailors and Marine Oilers to change 3.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,600 openings are projected each year, 10.9% of the 33,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of water transportation workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Fluctuations in the demand for bulk commodities, such as iron ore and grain, is a key factor influencing employment of water transportation workers. When demand for these commodities is high, the need for these workers increases; when demand slows, so does the need for workers.
Getting in
How to become a Sailor and Marine Oiler
Education and training requirements for water transportation workers vary by occupation. There are no educational requirements for entry-level sailors and marine oilers, but other water transportation workers typically complete U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)-approved training programs. Most water transportation jobs require the Transportation Worker Identification Credential from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and a Merchant Mariner Credential, plus related endorsements, from the Coast Guard.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does a Sailor and Marine Oiler do?
Stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot. Break out, rig, overhaul, and store cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, and running gear. Perform a variety of maintenance tasks to preserve the painted surface of the ship and to maintain line and ship equipment. Must hold government-issued certification and tankerman certification when working aboard liquid-carrying vessels. Includes able seamen and ordinary seamen.
Water transportation workers operate and maintain vessels that take cargo and people over water. The vessels travel to and from foreign ports across the ocean and to domestic ports along the coasts, across the Great Lakes, and along the country’s many inland waterways.
Day-to-day tasks
- Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.
- Provide engineers with assistance in repairing or adjusting machinery.
- Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
- Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.
- Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.
- Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines.
- Paint or varnish decks, superstructures, lifeboats, or sides of ships.
- Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most water transportation workers are full time, and many work more than 40 hours per week. Work schedules vary, depending on the job. Some crews, such as those on barges or deep-sea ships, may spend weeks or months away from home and work on board for long periods 7 days a week. Other workers, such as motorboat operators, may have day shifts from which they return home each night.
Some water transportation work is seasonal. For example, crews who work on the Great Lakes often do not work in the winter, when the lakes freeze. Ferry and motorboat operators who service ships for vacation destinations may work only in the summer.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Writing2.5
- Learning Strategies2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Operation and Control3.6
- Equipment Maintenance3.1
- Troubleshooting3.1
- Repairing3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Operation and Control | 3.6 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.1 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 |
| Repairing | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Facilities management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Sailor and Marine Oiler?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Sailor and Marine Oiler |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional4.0
- Investigative2.6
- Enterprising2.4
- Social1.2
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Sailor and Marine Oiler
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
Captain, Mate, and Pilot of Water Vessels
$92,460median a year
Most earn $47K to $171K
+4.0%Certificate - Transportation and Material Moving
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with sailors and marine oilers highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Sailor and Marine Oiler$51,520
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Sailor and Marine Oiler | $51,520 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within sailor and marine oiler
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Sailor and Marine Oiler appears on
Questions
Sailor and Marine Oiler: frequently asked questions
How much do Sailors and Marine Oilers make?
Sailors and Marine Oilers earn a median of $51,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.77/hr. The middle half earn between $41,430 and $67,590. The top 10% earn $83,620 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Sailor and Marine Oiler?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Sailors and Marine Oilers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Sailor and Marine Oiler a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.2% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Sailor and Marine Oiler do?
Water transportation workers operate and maintain vessels that take cargo and people over water. A core O*NET task: sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Operating system software.
Which states pay Sailors and Marine Oilers the most?
The highest state medians for Sailors and Marine Oilers are Hawaii ($76,140), New Jersey ($71,880), Oregon ($70,410) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Sailor and Marine Oiler?
O*NET scores Sailors and Marine Oilers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.