Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target bonus using the Grahall equation. Bonus is a function of base; higher base means a higher target bonus.
Base salary
$59,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$2,000
3.5% of base
Total target cash
$61,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus range (25th to 75th percentile):$1,000 to $3,500
Long-term incentive (LTI) varies by industry and executive tier and is not included in this view.
What Sailors and Marine Oilerss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.
Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs.
Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlMonitoringTroubleshootingRepairingCritical Thinking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Sailors and Marine Oilers pay by experience level
Entry level$36,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$43,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$53,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$70,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$86,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+2.3%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
3,900
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Sailors and Marine Oilers salary by industry
Water Transportation
13,540 workers
$59,000
Inland Water Transportation
8,960 workers
$55,500
Support Activities for Transportation
6,980 workers
$64,500
Support Activities for Water Transportation
6,820 workers
$64,000
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation
4,590 workers
$66,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
4,270 workers
$57,000
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
2,410 workers
$51,000
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation
1,850 workers
$41,500
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water
1,850 workers
$41,500
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
1,320 workers
$66,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Sailors and Marine Oilers pays 14% below the average across 53 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $69,000).
Similar-paying roles in Transportation and Material Moving
Need Sailors and Marine Oilers pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
