Motorboat operators: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Motorboat operators run small, motor-driven boats that carry only a few passengers. They provide a variety of services, such as fishing charters, tours, and harbor patrols. Motorboat operators typically do the following:

  • Check and change the oil and other fluids on their boat
  • Pick up passengers and help them board the boat
  • Act as a tour guide, 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
  • Marine oilers
  • Mates
  • Merchant mariners
  • Merchant seamen
  • 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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