woman standing in front of a ferry wearing BC Ferries uniform and safety vest

Water transport deck and engine room crew

(NOC 74201)
Annual Earnings
$62,568
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
High School Diploma
Job Openings
(2024-2034)
410

Career Overview

Water transport deck and engine room crew stand watch, operate and maintain deck equipment. They also perform other deck and bridge duties, assist ship engineer officers to operate, maintain and repair engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment aboard ships or self-propelled vessels.

People in this occupational group work for marine transportation companies and federal government departments.

Job Titles

Able seaman/woman (except armed forces)
Barge deckhand
Boatswain
Boatswain - Canadian Armed Forces
Boatswain - water transport
Boiler tender - ships
Deckhand
Deckhand - ships
Dredge deckhand
Engine room crew member - ship
Engine room greaser - marine
Engine room greaser - water transport
Engine room mechanical assistant - ships
Ferryboat deckhand
Helmsman/woman - water transport
Log boom tugboat deckhand
Marine engineering mechanic
Marine engineering technician
Marine engine oiler
Marine oiler
Mechanical assistant, ship's engine room
Mechanical assistant - water transport
Ordinary seaman/woman (except armed forces)
Pumpman/woman - ships
Pump seaman/woman
Quartermaster
Seaman/woman
Ship boiler tender
Ship engine and boiler room crew member
Ship engine room greaser
Ship engine room mechanical assistant
Ship's carpenter
Ship stoker
Ship tunnelman/woman
Ship tunnel operator
Ship watchman/woman
Stoker - ships
Tanker pumper - ship
Tugboat deckhand
Wheelsman/woman

Duties

Workers in this group perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Stand watch and steer ship or self-propelled vessel under the direction of the officer on watch
  • Operate, maintain and repair deck equipment such as winches, cranes, derricks and hawsers
  • Assist ship engineer officers in performing routine maintenance work and repair to ship's engine, machinery and auxiliary equipment
  • Monitor engine, machinery and equipment indicators, record variables and report abnormalities to ship engineer officer on watch
  • Lubricate moving parts of engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment
  • Operate and maintain off-loading liquid pumps and valves
  • Clean engine parts and keep engine room clean
  • Clean, chip and paint deck surfaces
  • Handle mooring lines, and splice and repair ropes, wire cables and cordage

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$62,568

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$39.71/hr
Median$30.00/hr
Low$21.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2024 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

1,180

% Employed Full Time

55%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work takes place inside a ship or other self-propelled vessel
  • Work also takes place outdoors so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions
  • Working with machinery and equipment can be a source of injury
  • The workplace may be noisy enough to affect hearing

Career Pathways

Progression to deck officer positions is possible with experience, additional training and deck officer certification by Transport Canada.

Training and testing for various endorsements and certification, including the Marine Emergency Duty (MED) certificate, are possible after working as a deck crew member.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Education, Training and Skills

  • Some secondary school education is required
  • On-the-job training is provided

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Academic/Basic Upgrading
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

72%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

65%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

56%
Repairing

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

53%
Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

53%
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.

53%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

53%
Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

50%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

50%
Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

50%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

1,180
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 15 1.3%
Kootenay 30 2.5%
Mainland/Southwest 340 28.8%
North Coast and Nechako 65 5.5%
Northeast 0 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 40 3.4%
Vancouver Island/Coast 680 57.6%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)

410
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo Not available Not available
Kootenay 0 -2.5%
Mainland/Southwest 170 1.7%
North Coast and Nechako 70 5.1%
Northeast Not available Not available
Thompson-Okanagan 10 0.8%
Vancouver Island/Coast 170 0.9%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2024-2034)
Transportation and Warehousing310
Public Administration70
Manufacturing20
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services10
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources