Maritime jobs, especially aboard ocean-going vessels, require crew to spend weeks, and sometimes months, at sea while working long hours in adverse conditions with little shore leave. Deck hands, an entry-level maritime position, earn a yearly salary between $23,800 and $43,182 as of 2011, with 75 percent receiving health insurance benefits, according to Payscale.com. By contrast, a ship's captain earns as much as $121,567 per year.
Deciding the kind of career you want to pursue is the first step in determining which school will suit your needs and which specialization you will focus on. The Great Lakes Maritime Academy guarantees employment to those who complete its programs for deck officers, engineering and plant operations. For those interested in just getting a "foot in the hatch," schools like Bluewater Maritime School offer short training courses in such areas as able-seamen skills or commercial-assistance towing. These courses provide the licenses needed to get you on the water. More specialized fields such as ocean drilling, business and logistics, and marine engineering technology will require a four-year bachelors degree, such as those offered by Duke University, the University of Alaska, the University of Delaware or Florida Institute of Technology.
Almost all maritime schools in the U.S. are located in waterfront areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan offers programs designed for future deck officers, engineering officers and power-plant facilities operators. Maritime training is also available in the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
The California Maritime Academy and the Maritime Academy at the State University of New York are both part of their state's public university systems. These schools offer degree programs for prospective careers in the marine industry; their courses include marine policy and management, marine sciences, engineering and business. Tuition ovaries, but residents are given in-state discounts.
By enlisting with the U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Navy, you can learn valuable maritime skills while earning an income and serving your country. Another option is the U.S Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Operated by the Maritime Administration, a federal organization, the Academy is a four-year program to prepare midshipmen for the maritime industry.Its shipboard training program covers the performance and operating characteristics of various classes of vessels, and labor relations in the ocean shipping industry. Graduates will also serve in a reserve capacity for the U.S. armed forces.