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Job Definition
View MovieCommand vessels in oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, and coastal waters.
Job Zone

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Interests
Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Knowledge
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Skills
Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Tasks
Assign watches and living quarters to crew members.
Collect fares from customers, or signal ferryboat helpers to collect fares.
Interview and hire crew members.
Maintain boats and equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, and life preservers.
Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.
Purchase supplies and equipment.
Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, and oxygen.
Resolve questions or problems with customs officials.
Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, and radios.
Tow and maneuver barges, or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.
Contact buyers to sell cargo such as fish.
Perform various marine duties such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports and harbors, and patrolling beaches.
Sort logs, form log booms, and salvage lost logs.
Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices, and following contour lines on charts.
Compute positions, set courses, and determine speeds, by using charts, area plotting sheets, compasses, sextants, and knowledge of local conditions.
Wages

Data not available

Outlook

During 2006, there were approximately 2,000 people employed in this field in California. It is projected that there will be 2,200 employed in 2016. This occupation will have about 20 openings due to growth and about 50 replacement openings for approximately 70 total annual openings. This occupation .

Colleges and Training
Below are college programs that are generally associated with this occupation. To view colleges that offer these programs, click on the titles below.
Commercial Fishing - A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to function as commercial fishermen, fishing operations supervisors or in related fishing industry operations. Includes instruction in fishing vessel operation; fishing equipment operation and maintenance; equipment repair; catch identification, sorting, and storage; safety procedures; record keeping; and applicable legal regulations.
Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer - A program that prepares individuals to serve as captains, executive officers, engineers and ranking mates on commercially licensed inland, coastal and ocean-going vessels. Includes instruction in maritime traditions and law; maritime policy; economics and management of commercial marine operations; basic naval architecture and engineering; shipboard power systems engineering; crew supervision; and administrative procedures.
Similar Occupations
Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer - Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,000 GVW, to transport and deliver goods, livestock, or materials in liquid, loose, or packaged form. May be required to unload truck. May require use of automated routing equipment. Requires commercial drivers' license.
Locomotive Engineers - Drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Interpret train orders, electronic or manual signals, and railroad rules and regulations.
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters - Conductors coordinate activities of train crew on passenger or freight train. Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within yard of railroad, industrial plant, or similar location. Yardmasters coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, such as the makeup or breakup of trains, yard switching, and review train schedules and switching orders.
Sailors and Marine Oilers - 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.
Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge - Supervise and coordinate activities of crew aboard ships, boats, barges, or dredges.
Pilots, Ship - Command ships to steer them into and out of harbors, estuaries, straits, and sounds, and on rivers, lakes, and bays. Must be licensed by U.S. Coast Guard with limitations indicating class and tonnage of vessels for which license is valid and route and waters that may be piloted.
Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation - Inspect and monitor transportation equipment, vehicles or systems to ensure compliance with regulations and safety standards.
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