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Ship's Masters

ANZSCO ID 231213

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
3,600
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
80%
Female Share
4%
Average age
48
About this data

Summary

Ship's Masters control and manage the operation of ships or boats.

Specialisations: Dredge Master, Ship's Pilot, Tug Master.

A certificate III or IV in maritime operations (coxswain or master) is usually needed to work as a Ship's Master. Some workers have a diploma or advanced diploma.

Tasks

  • Ensures compliance with regulations pertaining to safety at sea and protection of the marine environment.

  • Directs the activities of the deck crew for navigational support tasks, berthing and unberthing, maintenance, cleaning and painting of superstructures, and the repair and replacement of defective deck gear and equipment.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
High skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
2312 Marine Transport Professionals
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • 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 80% of people employed as Ship's Masters work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 54 hours per week in their main job. This is 10 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
67.4%
2
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
4.1%
3
Mining
3.3%
4
Administrative and Support Services
3.1%
5
Other industries
14.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

23.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

7.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

37.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

18.0% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

4.3% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

3.2% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Ship's Masters All Jobs Average
NSW 23.7 31.6
VIC 7.4 25.6
QLD 37.0 20.0
SA 6.0 7.0
WA 18.0 10.8
TAS 4.3 2.0
NT 3.2 1.0
ACT 0.1 1.9


  • Around 63% of Ship's Masters live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Queensland and Western Australia 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
48
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
4%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Ship's Masters is 48 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 4% of the workforce. This is 44 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 Masters All Jobs Average
15-19 0.6 5.0
20-24 2.3 9.3
25-34 14.4 22.9
35-44 23.7 22.0
45-54 29.6 21.6
55-59 13.4 9.0
60-64 9.7 6.0
65 and Over 6.2 4.2
Median Age 48 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 certificate III or IV in maritime operations (coxswain or master) is usually needed to work as a Ship's Master. Some workers have a diploma or advanced diploma.

Visit

  • 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 Masters All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 3.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 9.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 32.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 32.4 21.1
Year 12 9.0 18.1
Year 11 3.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 10.3 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.

  • 68%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 59%

    Operation monitoring

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

  • 55%

    Monitoring

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

  • 54%

    Active listening

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

  • 54%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 54%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 52%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 48%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 48%

    Active learning

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

  • 48%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 46%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 45%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 45%

    Management of personnel resources

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

  • 43%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 43%

    Time management

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

  • 41%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 41%

    Quality control analysis

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

  • 41%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 41%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 39%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 76%

    Transportation

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

  • 62%

    Geography

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

  • 58%

    Education and training

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

  • 58%

    Law and government

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

  • 56%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 54%

    Administration and management

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

  • 52%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 50%

    Mechanical

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

  • 49%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 48%

    Psychology

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

  • 46%

    English language

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

  • 42%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 38%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 38%

    Telecommunications

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

  • 37%

    Physics

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

  • 34%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 33%

    Clerical

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

  • 32%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 29%

    Chemistry

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

  • 22%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 82%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 64%

    Spatial orientation

    Know where things are around you.

  • 64%

    Glare sensitivity

    See things in glare or bright lighting.

  • 61%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 59%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Control precision

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

  • 57%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 57%

    Depth perception

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

  • 57%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 57%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 57%

    Reaction time

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

  • 55%

    Near vision

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

  • 55%

    Response orientation

    Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).

  • 55%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 54%

    Perceptual speed

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

  • 54%

    Visualization

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

  • 52%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 52%

    Multilimb coordination

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

  • 52%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

Activities

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

  • 79%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

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

  • 76%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 73%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 72%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 71%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

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

  • 65%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 63%

    Training and teaching others

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

  • 61%

    Collecting and organising information

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

  • 61%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 60%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 59%

    Doing physically active work

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

  • 58%

    Guiding and directing staff

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

  • 56%

    Controlling equipment or machines

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

  • 55%

    Assessing and evaluating things

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

  • 52%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 51%

    Checking compliance with standards

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

  • 49%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 47%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 47%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

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

  • 44%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

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.

  • 100%

    Practical

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

  • 62%

    Administrative

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

  • 62%

    Analytical

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

  • 62%

    Enterprising

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

  • 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.

  • 81%

    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.

  • 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.

  • 71%

    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%

    Achievement

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

  • 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.

  • 60%

    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.

Demands

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

  • 99%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 99%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 98%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 96%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 94%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 94%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 93%

    Contact with people

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

  • 90%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 90%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 90%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

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

  • 88%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

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

  • 88%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 85%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

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

  • 85%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 85%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 84%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 83%

    Work at heights

    Work in high places (e.g., on poles, scaffolding, catwalks, or ladders).

  • 83%

    Bright or inadequate lighting

    Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.

  • 82%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

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, 53-5021.03 - Pilots, Ship.

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