Occupation Description: Command ships to steer them into and out of harbors, estuaries, straits, or sounds, or on rivers, lakes, or bays. Must be licensed by U.S. Coast Guard with limitations indicating class and tonnage of vessels for which license is valid and route and waters that may be piloted.
Life As a Ship Pilot: What Do They Do?
- Advise ships’ masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.
- Relieve crew members on tugs or launches.
- Serve as a vessel’s docking master upon arrival at a port or when at a berth.
- Set ships’ courses that avoid reefs, outlying shoals, or other hazards, using navigational aids, such as lighthouses or buoys.
- Steer ships into or out of berths or signal tugboat captains to berth or unberth ships.
- Maintain ship logs.
Skills Required
These are the skills Ship Pilots say are the most useful in their careers:
- Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Job Demand for Ship Pilots
There were about 38,800 jobs for Ship Pilot in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,400 new jobs for Ship Pilot by 2026. There will be an estimated 4,400 positions for Ship Pilot per year.
The states with the most job growth for Ship Pilot are Nevada, Georgia, and Tennessee.
The average yearly salary of a Ship Pilot ranges between $35,410 and $144,690.
Ship Pilots who work in Texas, Oregon, or Maryland, make the highest salaries.
Tools and Technologies
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Ship Pilots may use on a daily basis:
- Log book software
- Maptech The CAPN
Becoming a Ship Pilot
What education is needed to be a Ship Pilot?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Ship Pilots Sector
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
