Ship's Master

A Ship's Master is the commanding officer responsible for the safe navigation, operation, and management of a commercial vessel and its crew in Australian and international waters. They maintain compliance with maritime regulations, ensure cargo operations proceed safely, and make critical decisions regarding course, speed, and crew welfare. The role involves continuous monitoring of weather, sea conditions, navigation systems, and adherence to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) standards and Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) requirements.

Navigate the vessel using charts, electronic navigation systems (ECDIS), and celestial navigation to maintain course and monitor position in accordance with IMO routing guidelines. Maintain a bridge watch rota for the vessel, assign duties to officers and crew, and ensure compliance with International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) requirements. Prepare and lodge passage plans with maritime authorities, including port state control notifications and arrival declarations as required by AMSA. Conduct risk assessments for cargo loading, ballasting, and vessel stability calculations using ship's hydrostatic and stability software. Interpret weather forecasts, sea ice reports, and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to manage navigation risks and adjust course or speed as necessary. Oversee crew behaviour and discipline, conduct performance reviews, and ensure adherence to the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code). Manage emergency response protocols, including drills for fire, flooding, man overboard, and pollution incidents as mandated by the International Safety Management Code. Liaise with port authorities, harbour masters, pilots, and customs/immigration officials during port entry and departure procedures.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll spend months away from home on rotating contracts, often 4 to 6 months at sea followed by time off. The certification path is long and expensive: you need years of sea time logged before you can sit for your Master's ticket, and you can't skip steps. The job also carries real legal and personal liability if something goes wrong at sea.

Most positions are with international shipping companies rather than purely Australian operators. Many roles involve long international voyages, so work isn't geographically tied to one Australian location: you're based wherever the ship is contracted to sail.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2312, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Conduct water navigationcore
• Conflict Resolutioncore
• Dispatch Documentationcore
• Ensure vessel securitycore
• Freight Coordinationcore
• Have computer literacycore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Manage staffcore
• Plot shipping navigation routescore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Principles of cargo stowagecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Supervise loading of cargocore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Use maritime Englishcore
• Use water navigation devicescore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Act reliably
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Comply with checklists
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Escalation Management
• Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Implement environmental protection measures
• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
• International regulations for cargo handling
• Negotiation
• Record Management
• Research and Analysis
• Use different communication channels
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026