Sailors and Marine Oilers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 53-5011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$51,522
$24.77/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Sailors and Marine Oilers is $51,522 per year ($24.77/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $41,434 and $67,600 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $83,616 per year. There are approximately 31,670 sailors and marine oilers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot. Break out, rig, overhaul, and store cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, and running gear. Perform a variety of maintenance tasks to preserve the painted surface of the ship and to maintain line and ship equipment. Must hold government-issued certification and tankerman certification when working aboard liquid-carrying vessels. Includes able seamen and ordinary seamen.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
32K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Inland Water Transportation
NAICS 483200
9K
$50,060
Support Activities for Water Transportation
NAICS 488300
7K
$59,370
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation
NAICS 483100
5K
$61,480
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
2K
$47,070
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water
NAICS 487200
2K
$37,450
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,450 to $61,480 (64% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$16.61
$34,549
P25
$19.92
$41,434
P50MEDIAN
$24.77
$51,522
P75
$32.50
$67,600
P90
$40.20
$83,616
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average sailors and marine oilers salary?
The national median salary for Sailors and Marine Oilers is $51,522 per year ($24.77/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $41,434 and $67,600 annually.
How much do top-earning sailors and marine oilers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Sailors and Marine Oilers is $83,616 per year ($40.20/hr). The 75th percentile is $67,600 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for sailors and marine oilers?
Entry-level Sailors and Marine Oilers (10th percentile) earn approximately $34,549 per year ($16.61/hr). The 25th percentile is $41,434 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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