Deck officer
Deck officers are responsible for the safe navigation of the vessel on their watch, for supervising the loading and unloading of the vessel, and for carrying out safety-related tasks on board the vessel. The job description often includes planning, equipment procurement, and preparation work. Deck officers work on passenger ships and cargo vessels, as well as on icebreakers and tugboats. In addition to seafaring expertise, the profession requires an independent approach to work, carefulness, and decision-making skills.
On passenger vessels, cargo vessels, icebreakers, and tugboats of shipping companies.
The work of a deck officer requires expertise in seafaring and navigation, as well as knowledge of vessel operations and technology. Competence in the maintenance and servicing of ships is needed in the profession.
The job requires an independent approach to work and responsibility. Deck officers must be able to make independent decisions, as well as be careful and systematic in their work, to ensure that ships are navigated in accordance with instructions and schedules.
Skills in information technology are necessary for reporting, radio communications, and integrated navigation systems. As the official language of radio communications is English, good spoken and written English skills are essential. In Finnish shipping, Swedish language is also important. Other language skills are an advantage. Good physical condition is an asset in this work.
Working on board vessels requires adaptation to a small work community. The job also requires adapting to an occasionally rolling work environment. A deck officer must have good vision and perfect colour perception, as they need to accurately observe lighthouses, other maritime markers, and surrounding traffic.
- anchors used in inland water transport
- european classification of inland waterways
- functions of vessel deck equipment
- inland waterway ship building
- international regulations for cargo handling
- international waterways
- multimodal transport logistics
- national regulations on handling cargo
- national waterways
- passenger transport regulations
- physical parts of the vessel
- principles of cargo stowage
- vessel points of sail
- vessel stability principles
- vessel traffic services
Upper secondary vocational institutions offer Vocational Qualification in Seafaring, where you can specialise in deck officers, in which case the qualification is Officer of the Watch. At universities of applied sciences, you can complete a bachelor’s degree in maritime management (master mariner). The qualification provides competence to act as a deck officer of passenger and cargo vessels in international traffic.
A certificate of competency of a master, chief officer, or officer of the watch, depending on the manning of the vessel. In addition to suitable education, a sufficient amount of work experience is required for certificates of competency of different levels. Upon receiving an Officer of the Watch Certificate of Competency, a person may serve as officer of the watch on merchant vessels engaged in international trade and as master on domestic vessels.
Master mariner training provides qualification, depending on work experience, for certificates of competency at various levels: deck officer, chief officer, and master on ships. Holders of master mariner certificate of competency are qualified to work on merchant vessels as masters and chief officers.
Median salary
5128 €/mo
The data is based on the median income, meaning the amount of salary which is the middle of the salary amounts arranged in order of magnitude.
Source: Statistics Finland's structural statistics on wages and salaries
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