sailor
Sailors assist the ship captain and any crew higher in hierarchy to operate ships. They dust and wax furniture and polish wood trim, sweep floors and decks, and polish brass and other metal parts. They inspect, repair, and maintain sails and rigging, and paint or varnish surfaces. They make emergency repairs to the auxiliary engine. Sailors may stow supplies and equipment and record data in log, such as weather conditions and distance travelled.
sailor sailors assist the ship captain and any crew higher in hierarchy to operate ships. They dust and wax furniture and polish wood trim, sweep floors and decks, and polish brass and other metal parts. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, anchors used in maritime water transport, guide ships into docks, watch for maritime navigation aids, operate traditional water depth measurement equipment.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £39,358 a year for Marine and waterways transport operatives (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 8232). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Plant and machine operators and assemblers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only sailor, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 8. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- Geography
- Personnel and Human Resources
What you'd actually 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.
- Follow safety procedures to ensure the protection of passengers, cargo, and vessels.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does sailor do?
Sailors assist the ship captain and any crew higher in hierarchy to operate ships. They dust and wax furniture and polish wood trim, sweep floors and decks, and polish brass and other metal parts. They inspect, repair, and maintain sails and rigging, and paint or varnish surfaces. They make emergency repairs to the auxiliary engine. Sailors may stow supplies and equipment and record data in log, such as weather conditions and distance travelled.
What skills does sailor need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, anchors used in maritime water transport, guide ships into docks, watch for maritime navigation aids, operate traditional water depth measurement equipment, anchor ships to the port. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace sailor?
Our AI-durability model gives sailor a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.