Sailors and Marine Oilers

What Sailors and Marine Oilers do

You keep a working ship running: handling ropes, watching for hazards, oiling machines, and scrubbing and painting decks in every kind of weather.

Sailors and marine oilers are the crew who keep a vessel safe and working. You tie the ship to the dock, stand watch for obstructions and for navigation markers like buoys and lighthouses, steer when the captain tells you to, and run winches (powered drums that pull heavy cable or rope) and cranes. Below deck, you lubricate gears, shafts and bearings and help the engineers with repairs. Much of the work is plain upkeep: chipping rust, washing down decks, splicing (joining and repairing) rope and wire cable, and painting.

You are around the same small crew constantly and take orders from the captain or the mate, the officer second in charge. Some tasks you do alone, quietly watching the water or working a section of deck. Some hours are outdoors in all weather, some are in engine spaces with no air conditioning.

A day in the life

You start with a handover from the crew coming off duty and check what needs doing. On deck you handle the ropes that tie the ship up, then take your turn keeping a lookout, scanning the water ahead for obstructions and picking out buoys and lighthouses. Later you chip rust off a railing with a wire brush and repaint it. You wear the safety gear the job calls for. Below, you grease bearings and hold a light while an engineer works on a pump. You mop down a deck where oil has spilled. In between, you check email and paperwork, including keeping your government-issued certifications current. Weather does not stop the work.

How people get in

1. 1Finish high school or a high school equivalency certificate such as a GED if you can. No formal educational credential is required to start, but employers still want reliable reading, writing, and basic math.
2. 2Get the government-issued certification you need to work aboard a vessel, and add tankerman certification if you want to work on ships carrying liquid cargo such as oil or chemicals.
3. 3Apply for entry-level deckhand or ordinary seaman work (the starting deck job) with shipping lines, tugboat and barge companies, ferries, or harbor operators.
4. 4Learn on the job. Most new crew get moderate-term on-the-job training from experienced sailors, covering rope handling, taking turns keeping a lookout, setting up ropes, cables and lifting gear, and equipment care.
5. 5Build up recorded days working at sea (called sea time) and experience to move toward able seaman, a more experienced deck rank with more responsibility, and keep your certifications current.
6. 6Consider where it leads: many people go on toward ship engineer or captain, mate, and pilot roles.

Who tends to enjoy it

Official task list

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. (O*NET)

• Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.
• Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
• Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.
• Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.
• Operate, maintain, or repair ship equipment, such as winches, cranes, derricks, or weapons system.
• Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.
• Lubricate machinery, equipment, or engine parts, such as gears, shafts, or bearings.
• Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines.

A typical day involves

How much Sailors and Marine Oilers make

The median pay for Sailors and Marine Oilers in the U.S. is $51,520 a year ($24.77 an hour). Most earn between $34,560 and $83,620. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)

Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in Hawaii ($76,140) and lowest in Arkansas ($23,960).

Related careers