Career
Motorboat operators
Operate motorboats.
$47,520
Median pay
+4.9%
Job growth, 2025–35
300
Openings a year
Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical education
Under 2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Operate engine throttles and steering mechanisms to guide boats on desired courses.
- Direct safety operations in emergency situations.
- Secure boats to docks with mooring lines, and cast off lines to enable departure.
- Maintain desired courses, using compasses or electronic navigational aids.
- Organize and direct the activities of crew members.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Operate engine throttles and steering mechanisms to guide boats on desired courses.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Speaking, Equipment Maintenance.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
Under 2 years of education after high school (postsecondary nondegree award), for a median of $47,520 a year and 300 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Marine Science/Merchant Marine OfficerCIP 49.0309
- Marine Transportation, OtherCIP 49.0399
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels$92,460 · +4.0%
- Sailors and Marine Oilers$51,520 · +3.2%
- Ship Engineers$109,530 · +2.7%
- Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians$57,550 · +4.9%
- Riggers$62,640 · +3.9%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.