OSCA 899231

Deck Hand

Overview

  • Employed persons

    2,600

  • Employment status

    74.9% Full time

    25.3% Part time

  • Median age

    38 years

  • Employment by sex

    14.7% Female

    85.2% Male

    Highly male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    6.0%

  • Main employing industry

    Transport, Postal and Warehousing

Indicator Deck Hand Total employment
Employed persons 2,600 12,049,400
Median age 38 years 40 years
Full-time share 74.9% 64.2%
Part-time share 25.3% 35.8%
Female employment share 14.7% 48.5%
Male employment share 85.2% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Highly male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 6.0% 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

Deck Hands perform a range of maintenance and lookout tasks and operate deck equipment aboard a marine vessel.

What the occupation involves

  • Operates and maintains deck equipment, rigging, and lifesaving and firefighting equipment
  • Handles and secures lines and ropes during docking procedures
  • Keeps lookout while vessel is at sea
  • Assists passengers with enquiries and luggage needs
  • Assists with loading and unloading cargo
  • Maintains the appearance of deck structures by removing rust, treating and painting as necessary
  • Maintains a vessel's kitchens, laundries, cabins and recreation areas
  • Assists in maintaining cleanliness and seaworthiness of a vessel
  • May serve food and drinks onboard a passenger vessel
  • May perform routine mechanical tasks on smaller vessels
  • May perform routine mechanical tasks on smaller vessels.

Common occupation titles

  • Marine General Purpose Hand

Specialisations

  • Marine Rating

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

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 4
equivalent to a lower‑level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate II or III).

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

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Deck Hand Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 64.1% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Mining 3.6% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 3.4% Construction 8.9%
    Administrative and Support Services 2.5% Education and Training 8.8%
    Public Administration and Safety 2.5% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services 1.9% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Arts and Recreation Services 1.5% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Manufacturing 1.4% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Accommodation and Food Services 1.3% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Wholesale Trade 1.2% 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

      25.6%

    • Victoria

      8.6%

    • Queensland

      28.4%

    • South Australia

      5.5%

    • Tasmania

      7.4%

    • Northern Territory

      2.3%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      0.2%

    Deck Hand Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 670 25.6% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 230 8.6% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 740 28.4% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 140 5.5% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 570 21.9% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 190 7.4% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 60 2.3% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 10 0.2% 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

    Deck Hand

    Total employment

    Age group Deck Hand Total employment
    15–24 years 17.6% 14.3%
    25–34 years 23.7% 22.7%
    35–44 years 20.1% 22.3%
    45–54 years 20.2% 20.4%
    55–64 years 14.9% 15.3%
    65–74 years 3.4% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.0% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Deck Hand Total employment
    Female 14.7% 48.5%
    Male 85.2% 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

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      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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