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Ordinary seaman

Also called OS, seaman recruit, ordinary seawoman

Ordinary seamen occupy the lowest rank of a maritime ship’s deck crew. They comprise the main labour force on board a boat where they help to operate the ship. They are supervised by the ship captain and the engineer, and can be given instructions by any individuals ranked above them.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects19 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Drivers and mobile plant operatorsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,000 (Bulgaria) to €5,100 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Drivers and mobile plant operatorsWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 4 in 10 train through vocational routes.Drivers and mobile plant operatorsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Ships' deck crews and related workers · ILO

What you'd do

Ships' deck crews and related workers · ILO
  • Standing look-out watches at sea and when entering or leaving harbour or other narrow waters
  • Steering ship according to instructions
  • Handling ropes and wires, and operates mooring equipment
  • Maintaining and, in some cases, operating ship‚Äôs equipment, cargo gear, rigging, lifesaving and firefighting appliances
  • Performing deck and hull cleaning, scraping, painting and other maintenance duties as required
  • Breaking out, rigging and stowing cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging and running gear
Moor vesselsUnmoor vesselsSecure ships using ropeClean shipsMaintain vessel engine room+ 15 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Mostly outdoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Lots of contact with people
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Sailors and Marine Oilers"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as drivers and mobile plant operators in the EU
8.26m9.01m8.74m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
1,996,000 replacing leavers 322,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Drivers and mobile plant operators19
All jobs29
Right now
5 of 27 countries report a shortage of ships' deck crews and related workers, 7 a surplus.
Ships' deck crews and related workers · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,100 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among plant and machine operators, and assemblers in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Plant and machine operators, and assemblers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in occupational health and safety is the usual route.

Highest qualification of drivers and mobile plant operators (EU, 2025)
Degree 8%Vocational 52%General secondary 11%Basic schooling 28%
Fields that teach it
Occupational health and safety · Transport services
Vocational route, EU
4 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.14 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 6 tasks
Steering ship according to instructions0.17
Standing look-out watches at sea and when entering or leaving harbour or other narrow waters0.15
Handling ropes and wires, and operates mooring equipment0.15
Breaking out, rigging and stowing cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging and running gear0.14
Maintaining and, in some cases, operating ship’s equipment, cargo gear, rigging, lifesaving and firefighting appliances0.13
Performing deck and hull cleaning, scraping, painting and other maintenance duties as required0.11

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for ships' deck crews and related workers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).