OSCA 313435

Ship's Master

Overview

  • Employed persons

    2,200

  • Employment status

    73.7% Full time

    26.5% Part time

  • Median age

    48 years

  • Employment by sex

    4.2% Female

    95.8% Male

    Almost completely male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.5%

  • Main employing industry

    Transport, Postal and Warehousing

Indicator Ship's Master Total employment
Employed persons 2,200 12,049,400
Median age 48 years 40 years
Full-time share 73.7% 64.2%
Part-time share 26.5% 35.8%
Female employment share 4.2% 48.5%
Male employment share 95.8% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Almost completely male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.5% 2.2%
Main employing industry Transport, Postal and Warehousing Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Ship's Masters control and manage the operations of a ship or boat.

What the occupation involves

  • Manages and controls the movement of a vessel
  • Oversees the interpretation of navigational instruments to ensure a vessel's course is maintained
  • Adjusts a vessel's course according to weather conditions
  • Communicates with port authorities
  • Plans and schedules a vessel's route, considering factors such as weather, tides and cargo requirements
  • Oversees the loading and unloading of cargo and/or passengers
  • Implements emergency procedures in case of accidents, storms or unforeseen events
  • Ensures compliance with maritime laws, regulations and safety procedures

Common occupation titles

  • Ship's Captain

Specialisations

  • Tug Master

Note: Specialisations are examples of roles in within this occupation and are not separate OSCA occupations.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 2
equivalent to a Diploma or Advanced Diploma level qualification.

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

Registration or licensing is required.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Ship's Master Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 62.1% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 5.4% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Administrative and Support Services 3.8% Construction 8.9%
    Public Administration and Safety 3.4% Education and Training 8.8%
    Mining 3.2% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Construction 2.1% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Accommodation and Food Services 1.8% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Arts and Recreation Services 1.5% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Manufacturing 1.3% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Wholesale Trade 1.1% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      24.3%

    • Victoria

      7.2%

    • Queensland

      36.1%

    • South Australia

      4.8%

    • Tasmania

      5.5%

    • Northern Territory

      3.1%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      0.1%

    Ship's Master Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 540 24.3% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 160 7.2% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 810 36.1% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 110 4.8% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 420 18.7% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 120 5.5% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 70 3.1% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 0 0.1% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Ship's Master

    Total employment

    Age group Ship's Master Total employment
    15–24 years 4.4% 14.3%
    25–34 years 15.4% 22.7%
    35–44 years 21.3% 22.3%
    45–54 years 27.0% 20.4%
    55–64 years 24.8% 15.3%
    65–74 years 6.4% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.8% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Ship's Master Total employment
    Female 4.2% 48.5%
    Male 95.8% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

      Download

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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