Machine Feeders and Offbearers vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: $41K vs $52K Median Pay

Machine Feeders and Offbearers vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: what changes?

Consider Machine Feeders and Offbearers if you want to feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers. Consider Sailors and Marine Oilers if you would rather 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. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Machine Feeders and Offbearers and Sailors and Marine Oilers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Machine Feeders and Offbearers

National median pay (2025): $41,220
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 4,000

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 13.1% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Machine Feeders and Offbearers brief

Sailors and Marine Oilers

National median pay (2025): $51,520
Route into the job: 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
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,600

Know before you choose

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

See the full Sailors and Marine Oilers brief

How the national numbers differ

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on projected growth

Sailors and Marine Oilers is at 3.2% projected growth, compared with -13.1% projected growth for Machine Feeders and Offbearers.

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on median pay

Sailors and Marine Oilers is at $51,520, compared with $41,220 for Machine Feeders and Offbearers.

Machine Feeders and Offbearers has the edge on annual openings

Machine Feeders and Offbearers is at 4,000 annual openings, compared with 3,600 annual openings for Sailors and Marine Oilers.

31.2/ 100

Machine Feeders and Offbearers

49.4/ 100

Sailors and Marine Oilers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Machine Feeders and Offbearers vs Sailors and Marine Oilers

Dimension	Machine Feeders and Offbearers	Sailors and Marine Oilers
Median pay (2025)	$41,220	$51,520
Pay percentile	12.4 percentile	36 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-13.1%	3.2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	4,000	3,600
2025 employment	41,800	33,000
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	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
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

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Machine Feeders and Offbearers vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Machine Feeders and Offbearers

Sailors and Marine Oilers

How the national numbers differ

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on projected growth

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on median pay

Machine Feeders and Offbearers has the edge on annual openings

Machine Feeders and Offbearers vs Sailors and Marine Oilers

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