Seafarer career path: deck, engine and ratings
- Checked 6 October 2026
Contents9
1 In short
On deck the path runs from cadet to officer of the watch, second officer, chief officer and master; in the engine room from cadet to engineer officer of the watch, second engineer and chief engineer. Each officer step needs a certificate of competency, and the STCW Convention sets the minimum sea service for it: on ships of 3,000 GT or more, 12 months as officer of the watch for chief mate; for master, 36 months as officer of the watch, which may be reduced to 24 months if at least 12 of them were served as chief mate. Ratings move from ordinary seaman or wiper to watch rating and able seafarer.1
2 Deck officers: from cadet to master
The sea service below is the STCW minimum: the regulations it comes from are titled "mandatory minimum requirements", and the Code sets out minimum standards that every issuing Party must maintain.2,3
| Step | Document | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Deck Cadet | Approved Deck Officer Training Record Book | Approved training programme: systematic practical training on board under the supervision of qualified officers, recorded in a training record book.4 |
| Third Officer | Certificate of Competency – Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, 500 GT or more | At least 18 years old; 12 months of approved sea service in a training programme with a training record book, or 36 months of approved sea service; including at least 6 months of bridge watchkeeping under the supervision of the master or a qualified officer; the Chapter IV radio operator requirements for designated radio duties; approved education and training to Section A-II/1; basic training, survival craft and rescue boats, advanced fire fighting and medical first aid.5 MoreLess |
| Second Officer | Certificate of Competency – Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, 500 GT or more | The same officer in charge of a navigational watch certificate: Regulation II/1 sets no separate sea service for this move.6 |
| Chief Officer | Certificate of Competency – Chief Mate, 3,000 GT or more | Ships of 3,000 GT or more: at least 12 months of approved sea service as officer in charge of a navigational watch. Ships of 500 to 3,000 GT: no separate sea service is set; the candidate meets the watchkeeping officer requirements and completes approved training under Section A-II/2.7 MoreLess |
| Master | Certificate of Competency – Master, 3,000 GT or more | At least 36 months of approved sea service as officer in charge of a navigational watch; this may be reduced to 24 months if at least 12 of them were served as chief mate. The same applies to ships of 500 to 3,000 GT.8 MoreLess |
Vacancies by step
Pay by step
3 Engine officers: from cadet to chief engineer
| Step | Document | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Cadet | Approved Engineer Officer Training Record Book | Workshop skills training and an approved onboard training programme supervised by a certificated engineer officer, recorded in a training record book.9 |
| Fourth Engineer | At least 18 years old; workshop skills training plus 12 months of approved sea service in a programme with a training record book, or 36 months of sea service with at least 30 in the engine department; at least 6 months of engine-room watchkeeping under the supervision of the chief engineer or a qualified engineer officer; approved education and training to Section A-III/1; basic training, survival craft and rescue boats, advanced fire fighting and medical first aid.10 MoreLess | |
| Third Engineer | The same engineer officer of the watch certificate: Regulation III/1 sets no separate sea service for this move.11 | |
| Second Engineer | Certificate of Competency – Second Engineer Officer, 3,000 kW or more | Engineer officer of the watch requirements, plus: for 3,000 kW or more, at least 12 months of approved sea service as a qualified engineer officer; for 750–3,000 kW, at least 12 months as assistant engineer officer or engineer officer; approved training to Section A-III/2 or A-III/3.12 MoreLess |
| Chief Engineer | Certificate of Competency – Chief Engineer Officer, 3,000 kW or more | 3,000 kW or more: at least 36 months of approved sea service as engineer officer; this may be reduced to 24 months if at least 12 were served as second engineer; 750–3,000 kW: at least 24 months, of which at least 12 while qualified to serve as second engineer.13 MoreLess |
Vacancies by step
Pay by step
4 Electro-technical officer
| Step | Document | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| ETO Cadet | Approved Electro-Technical Officer Training Record Book | Workshop skills training and an approved onboard training programme supervised by qualified and certificated officers, recorded in a training record book.14 MoreLess |
| Electro-Technical Officer | Certificate of Competency – Electro-Technical Officer, 750 kW or more | At least 18 years old; at least 12 months of combined workshop skills training and approved sea service, including at least 6 months of sea service in an approved programme with a training record book, or at least 36 months of combined workshop training and sea service with at least 30 in the engine department; approved education and training to Section A-III/6.15 MoreLess |
Another route under STCW is at least 36 months of combined workshop skills training and approved sea service, of which at least 30 in the engine department; service as a ship's electrician may count toward it. Approved education and training to Section A-III/6 is required either way.16
MoreLess
Vacancies by step
Pay by step
5 Deck ratings: from ordinary seaman to bosun
| Step | Document | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary Seaman | ||
| Watchkeeping Seaman | Certificate of Proficiency – Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch | At least 16 years old; approved sea service including at least 6 months of training and experience, or special training ashore or on board including at least 2 months of approved sea service; the service is linked to navigational watchkeeping under the direct supervision of the master, the officer of the watch or a qualified rating.17 MoreLess |
| Able Seafarer Deck | Certificate of Proficiency – Able Seafarer Deck | At least 18 years old; a watch rating certificate; then approved sea service in the deck department of at least 18 months, or at least 12 months plus approved training; the competence standard of Table A-II/5, including survival craft and rescue boats, assessed on approved training and experience under Section A-VI/2, paras 1–4.18,19 MoreLess |
| Bosun | The STCW Convention has no separate bosun certificate: for deck ratings it provides the watch rating and able seafarer deck certificates.20 | |
| Officer of the Watch | Certificate of Competency – Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, 500 GT or more | At least 18 years old; 12 months of approved sea service in a training programme with a training record book, or 36 months of approved sea service; including at least 6 months of bridge watchkeeping under the supervision of the master or a qualified officer; the Chapter IV radio operator requirements for designated radio duties; approved education and training to Section A-II/1; basic training, survival craft and rescue boats, advanced fire fighting and medical first aid.5 MoreLess |
Vacancies by step
- Ordinary Seaman (OS)
- Watchkeeping Seaman (RFPNW)
- Able Seafarer Deck (AB)
- Bosun
- Officer of the Watch (OOW)
Pay by step
6 Engine ratings: from wiper to able seafarer engine
| Step | Document | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Wiper | ||
| Watchkeeping Motorman | Certificate of Proficiency – Rating Forming Part of an Engineering Watch | At least 16 years old; approved sea service including at least 6 months of training and experience, or special training ashore or on board including at least 2 months of approved sea service; the service is linked to engine-room watchkeeping under the direct supervision of a qualified engineer officer or a qualified rating.21 MoreLess |
| Able Seafarer Engine | Certificate of Proficiency – Able Seafarer Engine | At least 18 years old; an engine-room watch rating certificate; then approved sea service in the engine department of at least 12 months, or at least 6 months plus approved training.22 MoreLess |
| Engineer Officer of the Watch | At least 18 years old; workshop skills training plus 12 months of approved sea service in a programme with a training record book, or 36 months of sea service with at least 30 in the engine department; at least 6 months of engine-room watchkeeping under the supervision of the chief engineer or a qualified engineer officer; approved education and training to Section A-III/1; basic training, survival craft and rescue boats, advanced fire fighting and medical first aid.10 MoreLess |
Vacancies by step
Pay by step
7 Galley: from assistant cook to chief cook
| Step | Document | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Cook | ||
| Ship's Cook | Ship’s Cook Qualification Document | At least 18 years old; trained, qualified and found competent under the flag State's laws, including an approved or recognized course in practical cookery, hygiene, food storage, stock control, environmental protection and catering health and safety. MLC guidance adds a minimum period of sea service set by the competent authority and an examination.23 MoreLess |
| Chief Cook | Ship’s Cook Qualification Document | MLC 2006 sets no separate document for a chief cook: the qualification requirements apply to everyone engaged on board as a ship's cook.24 |
Vacancies by step
Pay by step
8 Where to start
Officers usually start as deck or engine cadets in an approved training programme, most often together with a maritime academy or college; ratings start as ordinary seaman, wiper, messman or steward. For a watch rating certificate, only sea service associated with watchkeeping and performed under the direct supervision of the master, the officer of the watch, a qualified engineer officer or a qualified rating counts; for an able seafarer certificate, only service while already qualified as a watch rating. How to become a seafarerMaritime schools25
Median monthly pay for each rank, counted from live vacancies over 90 days with the sample size printed next to it, is on the salary pages. Seafarer salaries by rank
9 Frequently asked questions
What are the ship ranks in order?
Deck: master, chief officer, second officer, third officer, deck cadet, with bosun, able seafarer, watch rating and ordinary seaman among the ratings. Engine: chief engineer, second engineer, third and fourth engineer, engine cadet, with able seafarer engine, watch rating and wiper among the ratings. The chief mate is next in rank to the master, and the second engineer next to the chief engineer. Ship ranks and positions26
How long does it take to become a ship captain?
At least the STCW minimum: officer of the watch training (12 months in an approved programme with a training record book, or 36 months of sea service), then at least 36 months as officer of the watch for a master certificate on ships of 3,000 GT or more; this may be reduced to 24 months if at least 12 of them were served as chief mate. The same applies to ships of 500 to 3,000 GT. Master27
Can a deck cadet become a captain?
Yes. The cadet’s onboard training leads to the officer of the watch certificate; after the required sea service as officer of the watch, and as chief mate if the shorter route is used, an officer can qualify as master. Deck cadet28
Can a rating become an officer?
Yes. Instead of a cadet training programme, the officer of the watch certificate can be based on 36 months of approved sea service, together with the approved education and training and the other requirements of regulation II/1.29