Container Ship Sailor Career
Container Ship Sailor Career
The Real Poop
So, Popeye, you want to set sail for the high seas with a freighter full of containers? It's going to take a lot more than a few cans of spinach to land a gig in this field. Sailors are tough, adaptive, independent workhorses with a knack for taking (and following) orders.
They're also strong, attentive, and able to manage the many complex responsibilities that come with safe passage. What do they lack? Sleep.
For some, the thought of spending long days working hard on the open sea is a dream come true. For other, visions of seasickness and exhaustion make this job a nightmare. Here's a piece of advice: you'll want to make sure to assess which camp you're in before climbing aboard.
Sailing demands a life very different from that which most people enjoy. For those who don't mind the idea of sleeping in close (and less than luxurious) quarters with fellow sailors, missing family for weeks (or months) at a time, and working around the clock, there are plenty of benefits to be reaped.
When just starting out as a container ship sailor, you might make only a meager salary, especially if you're inexperienced and learning on the job. Once you're caught up on the workings of the big ship, though, the average salary for a container ship sailor is around $41,000 (source).
Since life on the water can be unpredictable, many sailors choose to become members of unions that work to protect the working conditions and wages of seafaring folk.
If you decide this career is for you, the right to come aboard the ship can be gained in a few different ways. Some sailors forego a formal education and choose to work for passage or a low wage in order to pick up the necessary skills. Back in the day, these newbie sailors had to scour the ports to find a crew in need of an extra hand, relying on luck to land them a gig.
Today, you might be able to find the right position on Craigslist—just make sure you do your due diligence before setting sail with a pack of total strangers.
Another route for sailors is to earn a bachelor's degree at a maritime academy, which is often accompanied by a Merchant Marine Credential. A degree isn't strictly necessary for deckhands, but if you ever plan to become a deck officer, you'll need that education (source).
If scouring the ports for opportunities or taking chances on internet job postings seems less than ideal to you, the college route is the one you'll want to take.
As a sailor advances in skill and experience, they can move up in the ranks to the position of second mate, then later to that of deck officer. The second mate helps to safely navigate the ship into harbor; deck officers are responsible for directing ship operations when the captain is unavailable, though they also have varying levels of duties depending on their rank.
Eventually, a deck officer may earn the coveted rank of captain, directing all ship operations and earning both a higher wage and the most awesome hat of all time (source).
An extensive set of skills is required of sailors, the most prominent in the set being that all-important ability to follow orders quickly and without questioning. Whether swabbing the decks, hoisting the sails, watching for dangers in the waters, or navigating the vessel (while also navigating themselves around an abundance of enormous containers), sailors must be ready and capable to take on whatever task is at hand.
They also need to have some serious balance and coordination—clumsiness and a swaying boat don't exactly pair well together.