Seafarer ranks
Every onboard rank explained — what they do, the certificates required, the typical salary, the next rank, and the career pathway to get there. Use this hub alongside the careers pathways for the long view and the STCW certificate checker for the cert side.
Deck department
- Ordinary Seaman (OS)
Entry-level deck rating. Bridge look-out, deck maintenance, mooring, cargo watch under the AB and bosun.
- Able Seafarer Deck (AB)
Experienced deck rating qualified under STCW Table A-II/5. Look-out, helm, mooring station leader, cargo and drill duties.
- Bosun (Boatswain)
Senior deck rating. Plans the day work, leads the deck crew, reports to the Chief Officer.
- Deck Cadet
Officer trainee under an approved training programme. Records sea time toward the OOW (II/1) CoC.
- Third Officer (3/O, OOW)
Junior deck officer holding STCW II/1 CoC. Typically responsible for safety equipment + bridge watchkeeping.
- Second Officer (2/O)
Mid-level deck officer. Often holds navigation officer responsibility (passage planning, chart corrections, ECDIS).
- Chief Officer (C/O, Chief Mate)
Master's second in command. Responsible for cargo, stability, deck crew, ship-board ISM / ISPS implementation.
- Master (Captain)
The Master holds ultimate authority and responsibility for the safety of the vessel, the crew, the cargo, and the environment.
Engine department
- Wiper
Entry-level engine rating. Cleaning, basic maintenance, store-keeping, assists oilers and engineers.
- Oiler
Engine rating qualified under STCW Table A-III/4 (RFPEW). Watch under the engineer.
- Motorman (Able Seafarer Engine)
Senior engine rating qualified under STCW Table A-III/5.
- Engine Cadet
Engineer trainee under an approved training programme. Records sea time toward the OOEW (III/1) CoC.
- Fourth Engineer (4/E, OOEW)
Junior engineer holding STCW III/1 CoC. Watchkeeping, planned maintenance, auxiliary machinery.
- Third Engineer (3/E)
Engineer responsible for boilers, generators, fuel system on most cargo vessels.
- Second Engineer (2/E)
Chief Engineer's second in command. Day-to-day engine-room management, planned maintenance, engine crew leadership.
- Chief Engineer (C/E)
Head of the engine department, responsible to the Master for propulsion, auxiliary machinery, electrical systems.
Electrical / ETO
- Electro-Technical Officer (ETO)
Officer-rank electrical specialist under STCW Table A-III/6 — added in the 2010 Manila Amendments.
- Electrician (Electro-Technical Rating)
Electrical rating under STCW Table A-III/7. Common on larger vessels and offshore.
Catering + hotel
- Ship's Cook
Required by MLC Standard A3.2 paragraph 5 on vessels with 10+ crew.
- Steward
Catering rating supporting the cook; cabin and mess room cleaning, laundry, service.
- Cruise crew (general)
Hotel-side crew on passenger vessels — F&B, housekeeping, guest services, entertainment, deck and tendering.
Specialist
- Dynamic Positioning Operator (DPO)
Deck officer trained to operate a vessel's Dynamic Positioning system. Standard on offshore supply, drilling, construction, and some cruise vessels.
See also
- Career pathways
Long-form pathway guides — cadet to OOW, OS to AB, etc.
- STCW hub
Convention text, refreshers, country guides.
- STCW certificate checker
Generated list of certs per rank + vessel.
- Salary reference
Rank × vessel × region wage ranges.
- Vessel types
Container, bulker, tanker, LNG, cruise, offshore, yacht.
22 ranks indexed. Suggest a missing rank via /corrections.