Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
SHARE ON:
Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
53-5011 Sailors and Marine Oilers
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.
National estimates for Sailors and Marine Oilers
Industry profile for Sailors and Marine Oilers
Geographic profile for Sailors and Marine Oilers
National estimates for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 29,960 |
3.9 % |
$ 25.71 |
$ 53,470 |
1.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 15.50 |
$ 18.25 |
$ 23.27 |
$ 30.14 |
$ 38.07 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 32,240 |
$ 37,960 |
$ 48,400 |
$ 62,700 |
$ 79,180 |
Industry profile for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Sailors and Marine Oilers are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Sailors and Marine Oilers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation |
9,570 |
10.06 |
$ 27.54 |
$ 57,280 |
| Inland Water Transportation |
7,290 |
28.09 |
$ 23.87 |
$ 49,660 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation |
4,090 |
10.41 |
$ 29.00 |
$ 60,330 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) |
2,100 |
0.10 |
$ 21.83 |
$ 45,410 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water |
1,800 |
10.74 |
$ 21.10 |
$ 43,880 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Inland Water Transportation |
7,290 |
28.09 |
$ 23.87 |
$ 49,660 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water |
1,800 |
10.74 |
$ 21.10 |
$ 43,880 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation |
4,090 |
10.41 |
$ 29.00 |
$ 60,330 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation |
9,570 |
10.06 |
$ 27.54 |
$ 57,280 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction |
450 |
0.35 |
$ 22.86 |
$ 47,550 |
Top paying industries for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) |
210 |
0.04 |
$ 68.87 |
$ 143,240 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services |
80 |
0.04 |
$ 32.99 |
$ 68,620 |
| Facilities Support Services |
40 |
0.02 |
$ 30.16 |
$ 62,740 |
| Support Activities for Mining |
430 |
0.15 |
$ 29.17 |
$ 60,680 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation |
4,090 |
10.41 |
$ 29.00 |
$ 60,330 |
Geographic profile for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Sailors and Marine Oilers are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Sailors and Marine Oilers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Louisiana |
6,800 |
3.67 |
18.61 |
$ 24.83 |
$ 51,650 |
| Texas |
5,450 |
0.40 |
2.04 |
$ 27.39 |
$ 56,980 |
| Virginia |
2,170 |
0.54 |
2.76 |
$ 21.58 |
$ 44,890 |
| Florida |
1,870 |
0.20 |
0.99 |
$ 25.02 |
$ 52,030 |
| Washington |
1,820 |
0.52 |
2.64 |
$ 29.19 |
$ 60,710 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Louisiana |
6,800 |
3.67 |
18.61 |
$ 24.83 |
$ 51,650 |
| Alaska |
390 |
1.26 |
6.38 |
$ 30.19 |
$ 62,800 |
| Kentucky |
1,600 |
0.82 |
4.14 |
$ 22.60 |
$ 47,020 |
| Mississippi |
650 |
0.56 |
2.84 |
$ 25.54 |
$ 53,110 |
| Virginia |
2,170 |
0.54 |
2.76 |
$ 21.58 |
$ 44,890 |
Top paying states for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New Jersey |
840 |
0.20 |
1.01 |
$ 31.51 |
$ 65,540 |
| Hawaii |
250 |
0.40 |
2.03 |
$ 30.84 |
$ 64,150 |
| Oregon |
300 |
0.15 |
0.77 |
$ 30.23 |
$ 62,870 |
| Alaska |
390 |
1.26 |
6.38 |
$ 30.19 |
$ 62,800 |
| California |
1,580 |
0.09 |
0.45 |
$ 29.61 |
$ 61,580 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
4,550 |
1.43 |
7.26 |
$ 28.14 |
$ 58,540 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
2,370 |
4.61 |
23.39 |
$ 26.27 |
$ 54,640 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
2,350 |
29.10 |
147.53 |
$ 23.38 |
$ 48,630 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC |
2,130 |
2.89 |
14.66 |
$ 21.55 |
$ 44,820 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
1,560 |
0.16 |
0.83 |
$ 31.50 |
$ 65,510 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
1,340 |
0.64 |
3.26 |
$ 28.63 |
$ 59,550 |
| Baton Rouge, LA |
800 |
2.07 |
10.50 |
$ 25.94 |
$ 53,960 |
| Jacksonville, FL |
680 |
0.91 |
4.64 |
$ 25.82 |
$ 53,710 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
670 |
0.25 |
1.25 |
$ 25.21 |
$ 52,450 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
600 |
0.10 |
0.50 |
$ 24.47 |
$ 50,900 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
2,350 |
29.10 |
147.53 |
$ 23.38 |
$ 48,630 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
2,370 |
4.61 |
23.39 |
$ 26.27 |
$ 54,640 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC |
2,130 |
2.89 |
14.66 |
$ 21.55 |
$ 44,820 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA |
190 |
2.10 |
10.65 |
$ 32.92 |
$ 68,480 |
| Baton Rouge, LA |
800 |
2.07 |
10.50 |
$ 25.94 |
$ 53,960 |
| Lake Charles, LA |
170 |
1.84 |
9.35 |
$ 19.54 |
$ 40,650 |
| Lafayette, LA |
320 |
1.69 |
8.57 |
$ 23.07 |
$ 47,980 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
80 |
1.63 |
8.24 |
$ 29.50 |
$ 61,360 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
4,550 |
1.43 |
7.26 |
$ 28.14 |
$ 58,540 |
| Corpus Christi, TX |
250 |
1.31 |
6.64 |
$ 23.52 |
$ 48,920 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
510 |
0.21 |
1.06 |
$ 41.08 |
$ 85,440 |
| Anchorage, AK |
80 |
0.45 |
2.30 |
$ 33.70 |
$ 70,090 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA |
190 |
2.10 |
10.65 |
$ 32.92 |
$ 68,480 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
170 |
0.39 |
2.00 |
$ 32.55 |
$ 67,700 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
210 |
0.17 |
0.86 |
$ 32.20 |
$ 66,980 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
1,560 |
0.16 |
0.83 |
$ 31.50 |
$ 65,510 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
80 |
1.63 |
8.24 |
$ 29.50 |
$ 61,360 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
1,340 |
0.64 |
3.26 |
$ 28.63 |
$ 59,550 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
140 |
0.37 |
1.87 |
$ 28.39 |
$ 59,050 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
4,550 |
1.43 |
7.26 |
$ 28.14 |
$ 58,540 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Sailors and Marine Oilers:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sailors and Marine Oilers:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Sailors and Marine Oilers:
About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
