How to Become a Merchant Marine Officer in Illinois: Salary & Requirements (2026)
Quick answer: The median merchant marine officer salary in Illinois is $69,600 per year - 25% below the national median of $92,460 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The career requires a 4-year degree: Bachelor’s from a maritime academy (deck or engine license track).
How to Become a Merchant Marine Officer in Illinois
1. Choose deck or engine
Mates navigate and run cargo; engineers run propulsion and ship systems.
2. Attend a maritime academy
Six state academies plus USMMA grant the bachelor’s and license track together.
3. Earn your USCG credential
Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer exams at graduation.
4. Sail and build sea time
License upgrades (Second, Chief, Master) follow documented sea service.
5. Advance
Chief engineer or ship’s master, or come ashore into port and fleet management.
Requirements in Illinois
The education path is national - Bachelor’s from a maritime academy (deck or engine license track). Officer credentials are federal, issued by the USCG National Maritime Center, not Illinois’s own boards: USCG Merchant Mariner Credential with officer endorsement (required). Verify current requirements with the USCG National Maritime Center before enrolling, as details change.
Merchant Marine Officer Salary in Illinois
| Wage level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| Illinois entry level (10th percentile) | $48,210 |
| Illinois 25th-75th percentile | $59,830 - $104,330 |
| Illinois median | $69,600 |
| Illinois top earners (90th percentile) | $125,050 |
| U.S. median | $92,460 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. State employment: 900.
The Illinois Job Market: Merchant Marine Officer
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Employed in Illinois | 900 |
| Jobs per 1,000 in the state | 0.15 |
| Concentration vs U.S. (location quotient) | 0.62 |
| Mean annual wage in Illinois | $83,930 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. With a location quotient of 0.62, Illinois employs ship officers at a lower concentration than the national average; expect fewer openings per capita and weigh relocation or remote-friendly specialties.
Salary Nationwide
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,420 |
| 25th | $63,880 |
| 50th (median) | $92,460 |
| 75th | $127,180 |
| 90th | $170,640 |
Job Outlook
| Year | Employment |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 40,700 |
| 2034 projected | 40,900 |
| Percent change | +0.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a merchant marine officer make in Illinois?
The median annual wage for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in Illinois is $69,600 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 25% below the national median of $92,460.
How to become a merchant marine officer in Illinois?
The core path is the same nationwide - Bachelor's from a maritime academy (deck or engine license track) - with federal USCG licensing, not Illinois's own boards: USCG Merchant Mariner Credential with officer endorsement (required). See the steps on this page.
How many ship officers work in Illinois?
BLS counts about 900 captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels employed in Illinois (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Merchant Marine Officer in Nearby States
- Merchant Marine Officer in Georgia
- Merchant Marine Officer in Hawaii
- Merchant Marine Officer in Indiana
- Merchant Marine Officer in Iowa
Related
- How to Become a Merchant Marine Officer (national guide)
- All Trade Careers That Require a 4-Year Degree
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (SOC 53-5021), Illinois and national
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
Data sources
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
| O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones) | U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.) | O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13) |