Is Marine Transportation a Good Career Path? - NewBalancejobs
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Is Marine Transportation a Good Career Path?

If you are here, you are either in these two categories.

One. You’ve always wanted to work in the sea. Ever since you were a child, you have felt like the sea is calling you.

Come work in the ocean! Now you are older and ready to choose your career path, you are now seriously considering Marine Transportation – moving goods worldwide via water bodies only.

Two. You want to change career paths, and you’ve probably heard that marine jobs pay well. It is so enticing that you are looking to explore the industry.

Whichever category you are in, one question that you might have been wondering about is this.

Is Marine Transportation a good career path? In other words, you are asking yourself, “Can I have a good career as a professional working in and in the sea?”.

In today’s article, we are looking into marine transportation, the various career paths, the requirements you might need, and most importantly, whether these careers will turn out well in the long run.

Cargo ships transporting containers is an activity in marine transportation.

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What Is Marine Transportation?

Marine transportation is simply the activities involved in efficiently moving people and commercial goods from one destination to another over water masses(oceans, seas, rivers) using sea vessels. 

According to ScienceDirect, Marine transportation drives 80 – 90% of global trade.

How else do you think those goods in your local grocery stores go to your country from another continent where they were made?

What Are the Works of Marine Transportation Workers?

As a marine worker, all you will have is to deal with water bodies. From jobs like Waiters on cruise ships to Scuba Divers under the sea up to naval architects 

Marine workers are responsible for the effective running of commercial and non-commercial activities in water bodies.

For example, they work with cargoes on cargo ships, passengers on ferries, or even retirees on cruise ships.

Also, marine transportation workers work in seaports. This includes container logistics, loading and discharging ships, and even designing boats and ships as a marine engineer. 

There are various works and job opportunities for marine transportation.

What Are the Careers Under Marine Transportation 

Do you know that scuba diving is a career in marine transportation?

The job opportunities in marine transportation are many; they involve;

  • Port Engineers
  • Naval Architects 
  • Port Captains
  • Ship Captains
  • Marine Surveyors
  • Ship Security Officers
  • Ship Superintendents
  • Deck Hands
  • Ship Fitters
  • Able Seamans
  • Ship Mates
  • Vessel Operators
  • Marine Service Managers
  • Waiters
  • Scuba Divers
  • Sailors
  • Fishers, etc

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Is Marine Transportation a Good Career Path?

A career in the maritime industry is appealing and could be the best profession in the long run.

Maritime professionals are paid well, and the job also allows you to go up the rank, increasing your salary and earning overtime. Some of the benefits of a marine worker include;

High Salaries

Yes, Marine transport jobs pay mouth-watering salaries. Professionals like port captains could earn up to $112,000 per year.

According to Talent, the average salary of a marine transportation worker in the USA is $89,113 per year or $45.70 per hour.

Some entry-level positions start at $75,000 per year, while most experienced professionals make up $118,834 per year.

A chart showing the salary range for the maritime industry, courtesy of talent.com

Long Holidays

It’s no news that sea workers could spend months in the sea, up to 4 – 6 months long.

But also, as a marine transportation worker, you can get up to 3-4 months of uninterrupted holidays. To take you’re of yourself and bond with your families.

Impact

Marine Transportation affects up to 90% of the world’s commercial trade, virtually importation and exportation.

Imagine working in an industry where you can make up to 90% impact on the progress of world commerce. Cool right?

How Do You Become A Professional Mariner?

Not all jobs in the maritime industry require a degree. There are entry-level jobs in which people with minimal formal education can be employed.

However, you need to pass some minimum requirements like age requirements, practical sea skills, and some ship protocol and general maintenance competency. 

Some entry-level jobs include waiters, deckhands, office assistants, stewards, shipmates, general labor, warehouse workers, etc.

On the other hand, if you want to work in one or more technical positions like engineering, port captain, sailor, marine surveyor, etc.

Then, a college degree in engineering or a Maritime Training School certificate would be required.

Bottom Line

A cruise ship could provide jobs for waiters and Carmen and well security jobs In the maritime industry.

Working in the sea can be fun and scary at the same time. But if you have the practical skill to work in the sea, you’ll enjoy it in the long run. 

With the high peck salary attached and long holidays, who would turn down a job opportunity in the maritime industry.

As long as you have no problem being seasick and don’t fear waters, congrats, a maritime transport career would be a great career choice.

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Conclusion

This piece was written with the intent to give you an in-depth answer to your question of is marine transportation a good career path.

We believe this piece was both helpful and informative and will implore you to help share it across your social media platforms.