Marine oilers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Marine oilers work in the engine room, helping the engineers keep the propulsion system in working order. They are the engine room equivalent of sailors. New oilers usually are called wipers, or pumpmen, on vessels handling liquid cargo. With experience, a wiper can become a Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED). Marine oilers typically do the following:

  • Lubricate gears, shafts, bearings, and other parts of the engine or motor
  • Read pressure and temperature gauges and record data
  • Perform daily and periodic maintenance on engine room machinery
  • Help engineers with repairs to machinery
  • Connect hoses, operate pumps, and clean tanks
  • Assist the deck crew with loading or unloading of cargo, if necessary
Education Required
Sailors and marine oilers usually do not need formal education. Other types of water transportation workers often complete U.S. Coast Guard-approved training programs to help them obtain their required credentials.
Training Required
Ordinary seamen, wipers, and other entry-level mariners get on-the-job training for 6 months to a year. The length of training depends on the size and type of ship and waterway they work on. For example, workers on deep-sea vessels need more complex training than those whose ships travel on a river.
Job Outlook
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 8% (As fast as average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.)
Advancement
After obtaining their MMC, crewmembers can apply for endorsements that may allow them to move into more advanced positions.
Licenses/Certifications
All mariners working on ships with U.S. flags must have a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) from the Transportation Security Administration. This credential states that a person is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and has passed a security screening. The TWIC must be renewed every 5 years.
Median pay: How much do Water Transportation Workers make?
$54,870 Annual Salary
$26.38 per hour

Careers for Water Transportation Workers

  • Able seamen
  • Barge captains
  • Barge engineers
  • Barge masters
  • Boat pilots
  • Boatswain
  • Captains
  • Car ferry captains
  • Car ferry masters
  • Chief engineers, marine
  • Coastal tug mates
  • Cruise ship workers
  • Deck cadets
  • Deck hands
  • Deck officers
  • Docking pilots
  • Ferry captains
  • Ferry engineers
  • First mates
  • Harbor boat pilots
  • Harbor pilots
  • Harbor tug captains
  • Launch operators
  • Mates
  • Merchant mariners
  • Merchant seamen
  • Motorboat operators
  • Ordinary seamen
  • Outboard motorboat operators
  • Pilots
  • Port captains
  • Pumpmen
  • QMEDs
  • Qualified members of the engine department
  • River boat captains
  • River pilots
  • Sailboat captains
  • Sailors
  • Ship engineers
  • Ship officers
  • Speedboat drivers
  • Speedboat operators
  • Towboat captains
  • Towboat engineers
  • Tugboat captains
  • Tugboat engineers
  • Tugboat mates
  • Tugboat operators
  • Tugboat pilots
  • Water taxi operators
  • Wipers

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