Marine Transportation

Types of Degrees Marine Transportation Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many marine transportation graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	592
Basic Certificate	581
Undergraduate Certificate	282
Associate’s Degree	65

What Marine Transportation Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, marine transport majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Marine Transport Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills for Marine Transport Majors

marine transport majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Marine Transport Majors

Marine Transport majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Marine Transportation Major?

People with a marine transport degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Commercial Divers	9.8%	$49,140
Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge	8.8%	$69,180
Pilots, Ship	8.8%	$69,180
Ship and Boat Captains	8.8%	$69,180
Ship Engineers	6.9%	$71,130

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Transportation?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 592 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marine transportation in 2019, making it rank #190 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 90% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of marine transport majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	18
Black or African American	9
Hispanic or Latino	46
White	463
International Students	7
Other Races/Ethnicities	49

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Marine Transport. About 1.2% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Panama
• South Korea
• Bahamas
• Bermuda
• Turkey

How Much Do Marine Transportation Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that marine transportation students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $77,900 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $72,950 (25th percentile) and $88,400 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a marine transport degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Marine Transport majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $59,470 to $82,380 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Marine Transportation

Some degrees associated with marine transport may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for marine transport careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	3.4%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	34.9%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	43.8%
Some College Courses	7.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	4.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	5.9%
Master’s Degree	0.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.6%

Online Marine Transportation Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 30 schools offered some type of marine transportation program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	16	1
Certificate (1-2 years)	6	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	12	1
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	16	1
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Marine Transportation Worth It?

The median salary for a marine transport grad is $75,710 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 90% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $716,200 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Marine Transportation

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to marine transport.

Major	Number of Grads
Ground Transportation	18,786
Air Transportation	8,449
Other Transportation & Materials Moving	11

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.