Also called: Chief Officer, First Mate
Second-in-command of a ship who runs cargo operations and the deck crew.
The chief mate plans exactly how thousands of containers or millions of gallons of oil get loaded so the ship stays stable. They stand navigation watches, run safety drills, supervise maintenance on deck, and are ready to take command if the captain cannot.
Union chief mates on ocean ships often earn $120k+ for about 6 months of sea time a year.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's from a maritime academy (USMMA Kings Point, Cal Maritime, Maine Maritime, Massachusetts Maritime, SUNY Maritime, Texas A&M Maritime Academy or Great Lakes Maritime Academy) plus USCG license upgrades (Third Mate to Second Mate to Chief Mate) with required sea time.
Ways in: 4-year college, Apprenticeship, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Transportation, Nautical Science, Maritime Studies.
Growing slowly (about 1% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Load-planning and stability software do the math; verifying it, running the deck crew and owning safety stay human.
Classes: Physics, Algebra II and Trigonometry, Weightlifting or team sport.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-5021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.