Swap to Fishing or Port management or go back to all job sectors
Merchant Navy ratings support navigation, watchkeeping and engine room duties on board cargo and passenger ships.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home
There will be
0.3% fewer Merchant Navy rating jobs in 2029.
In your local area
As a Merchant Navy rating, you could:
You may need to wear a uniform and safety clothing and use safety equipment.
Your working environment may be at height, outdoors in all weathers and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You could apply to do a sponsored apprenticeship with a shipping company, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary or other small vessel and ferry operators.
Apprenticeships include:
Your training will combine classroom study with placements at sea to get practical experience of working on a ship. The length of training depends on your sponsoring company.
Employers will expect you to have good practical skills, enthusiasm for the career and the potential to complete ratings training.
You can apply for jobs directly with shipping companies, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary or small vessel operators, if you have qualifications and experience in:
You'll need to:
You can find work on all types of ships, including tankers, container ships, ferries, supply vessels and tugboats.
As well as deck and engine room roles, there may be opportunities to work in the hospitality and catering side of a ship’s operations.
You can find out more about working in the Merchant Navy through Careers at Sea and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
There is not enough data for this job to find employment statistics
As your career progresses, you could move up through the Merchant Navy ranks to become a:senior deck rating; petty officer; chief petty officer
With the necessary skills and experience, you could take further training to become a deck officer or engineering officer.
You could also use your skills to move into onshore engineering, marine surveying, port management or shipping business services.
You'll find information and support for moving to onshore careers from the Marine Society.