Annual Salary
£30,000 to £80,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Merchant Navy deck officers look after the day-to-day running and navigation of ships, and take care of passengers and cargo.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home
There will be
2.9% more Merchant Navy deck officer jobs in 2027.
Your day-to-day tasks will depend on your rank:
You may need to wear a uniform and protective clothing.
You could work on a ship.
Your working environment may be at height, outdoors in all weathers, cramped and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You can start your career as a Merchant Navy officer-cadet (deck) on an industry sponsored foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree, at a maritime college or university.
Courses usually include onboard practical training. Subjects offered include:
You can find out more about the applications procedure for courses and finding a sponsor from Careers at Sea.
You'll usually need:
You could do an intermediate apprenticeship as an able seafarer (deck). This will usually take around 18 to 24 months to complete, including time at sea.
With experience your employer may support you to complete rating to officer training.
The Slater Scholarship Fund aims to help ratings who choose to do the conversion to officer training, without their employers support.
You'll usually need:
If you have been in the Royal Navy, or have transferable skills from professions like mechanical engineering, you may be able to apply directly. You will still need to find a sponsoring company to take you through the training needed.
If you do not have the right qualifications to go direct to an officer programme you can do a pre-cadetship course. This lasts around a year and will develop your skills to get you ready for an officer level course in the Merchant Navy.
You'll need to:
You can find out more about ways to get useful experience from Careers at Sea.
You can find out more about becoming a Merchant Navy deck officer from Careers at Sea and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
The Merchant Navy has clear progression routes through its ranks.
You could find onshore and offshore positions with shipping companies, port authorities, maritime insurance companies and shipping brokers. Roles include logistics and fleet coordination, training and general management.
You could work for UK companies or for shipping companies based overseas.
You could also become a manager in other sectors.
You'll need: