72602 – Deck officers, water transport

Lead statement

Deck officers, water transport, operate and command ships or self-propelled vessels to transport passengers and cargo on oceans and coastal and inland waters, and supervise and coordinate the activities of deck crews. This unit group also includes Canadian Coast Guard deck officers.

Main duties

• Command and operate ships or other self-propelled vessels, such as barges or oil rigs, to transport passengers and cargo
• Command and operate coast guard vessels to provide ice-breaking and search and rescue services, and to maintain control over ships operating in Canadian waters
• Board vessels at berth or from pilot boats to advise ships' captains on the course to steer for safe passage into and out of ports, seaways or other waterways under pilotage authority
• Plan and execute safe navigational passage using navigational aids
• Determine geographical position using navigational instruments, maps and charts
• Guide vessels in rivers, canals, and other confined or hazardous waters and waterways
• Maintain vessels' navigational instruments and equipment
• Direct and oversee the loading and unloading of cargo
• Supervise and coordinate the activities of deck crews
• Record vessel progress, crew activities, weather and sea conditions in the ship's log.

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• Completion of deck officer cadet program from an approved nautical institute orone to three years of experience as a member of a deck crew is required.
• A deck officer certificate of competency, issued by Transport Canada, is required.
• For ship pilots, a ship pilot licence and a master certificate of competency are required.

Example job titles

home trade master · master mariner · self-propelled drilling rig captain · self-propelled drilling rig master · passenger ship captain · dredge mate · riverboat captain · Coast Guard vessel commanding officer · ship operation chief officer · offshore rig captain · ferryboat captain · ferryboat master · ferryboat operator · ship pilot · Coast Guard vessel chief officer · Coast Guard vessel second officer · home trade mate · deck officer - cadet · dredge captain · Coast Guard vessel navigation officer · navigation officer - water transport · inland navigation mate · ship first mate · Coast Guard vessel second watchkeeping officer · captain - water transport · master - water transport · self-propelled barge captain · commanding officer - water transport · ship watchkeeping mate · pilot - water transport · offshore drilling rig first mate · ship chief officer · self-propelled barge deck officer · deck officer · deck officer - water transport · self-propelled oil rig deck officer · ferryboat first mate · home trade first mate · foreign-going first mate · first mate - inland waters

Wages (per hour)

Source: Job Bank wages, 2025 release (ESDC). Low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles.