Transportation and Logistics · Career brief

Sailors and Marine Oilers

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Sailors and Marine Oilers at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$51,520

Below the middle on pay

2025 national median. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.

2Demand

3.2%

Slow projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

3,600

Moderate opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

No formal credential

A four-year degree is not the typical entry route

No formal educational credential. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

Hands-on

Practical work with tools, systems, or physical environments

Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

ChooseField take

The national benchmarks are mixed, so the work itself and the route in matter more than any standout pay or demand signal. It makes the most sense if hands-on work appeals to you and you are comfortable with entry without a formal credential. Main tradeoff: The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

Before choosing, compare:Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Hoist and Winch Operators Conveyor Operators and Tenders

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Sailors and Marine Oilers with another field Explore rankings in Transportation and Logistics Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$51,520

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

3.2%employment growth3,600openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

33,000

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Sailors and marine oilers (53-5011).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.
Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.
Hands-on manipulation of tools, controls, or objects occupies a meaningful part of the workday.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.8
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.6
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.6
Getting Information4.5
Controlling Machines and Processes4.5

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Realistic7.0
Conventional4.0
Investigative2.6
Enterprising2.4
Social1.2
Artistic1.0

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Public Safety and Security Transportation Mechanical Mathematics

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Plan a realistic route or delivery problem with time, cost, safety, and disruption constraints, then revise it when one assumption changes.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Sailors and marine oilers nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options