Ship's Officers

ANZSCO ID 231214

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
620
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
93%
Female Share
9%
Average age
38

Summary

Ship's Officers navigate and control the safe operation of ships and supervise and coordinate the activities of deck crew.

Specialisations: Navigating Officer (Ship's), Seaman Officer (Navy).

A diploma in maritime operations (watchkeeper deck) is usually needed to work as a Ship's Officer.

Tasks

  • Navigates a ship by supervising the ship's course and speed according to pre-determined passage plans and safety procedures.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
High skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Marine Transport Professionals, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 93% of people employed as Ship's Officers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 27 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 63 hours per week in their main job. This is 19 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
52.1%
2
Public Administration and Safety
23.1%
3
Mining
3.4%
4
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
2.4%
5
Other industries
10.7%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

23.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

12.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

24.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

4.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

21.8% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

7.5% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

3.4% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Ship's Officers All Jobs Average
NSW 23.6 31.6
VIC 12.5 25.6
QLD 24.4 20.0
SA 4.2 7.0
WA 21.8 10.8
TAS 7.5 2.0
NT 3.4 1.0
ACT 2.1 1.9


  • Around 45% of Ship's Officers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
38
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
9%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Ship's Officers is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 9% of the workforce. This is 39 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Ship's Officers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.5 5.0
20-24 7.9 9.3
25-34 30.8 22.9
35-44 28.3 22.0
45-54 19.1 21.6
55-59 6.7 9.0
60-64 5.8 6.0
65 and Over 1.0 4.2
Median Age 38 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A diploma in maritime operations (watchkeeper deck) is usually needed to work as a Ship's Officer.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Maritime VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Ship's Officers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.0 10.1
Bachelor degree 23.8 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 44.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 13.7 21.1
Year 12 10.4 18.1
Year 11 0.5 4.8
Year 10 and below 4.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Marine Transport Professionals who work well in a team, can communicate clearly with a diverse range of people and are reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 50%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 48%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 48%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 46%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 46%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 45%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 45%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 45%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 45%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 45%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 43%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 43%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 41%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 39%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 36%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 64%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 62%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 57%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 55%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 48%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 46%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 46%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 45%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 43%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 43%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 42%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 41%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 41%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 40%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 39%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 39%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 39%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 38%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 38%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 33%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 61%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 54%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 52%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 50%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 50%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 50%

    Spatial orientation

    Know where things are around you.

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 46%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 46%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 46%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 46%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 46%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 45%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 45%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 45%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 84%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 75%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 75%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 73%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 70%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 69%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 69%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 68%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 65%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 64%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 62%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 62%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 61%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 61%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 61%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 59%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 58%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 58%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 56%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 86%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 76%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 29%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 76%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 62%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 57%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 96%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 94%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 93%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 93%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 91%

    Bright or inadequate lighting

    Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.

  • 91%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 89%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 88%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 86%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 86%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 86%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 84%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 84%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 84%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 84%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 83%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 82%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 81%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 79%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 78%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 53-5021.02 - Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge.


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