Who's Hiring: Maritime Employers

By Captain Mike · 50 years at sea · former MITAGS faculty
Careers pages checked October 5, 2026

How to use this page

Find the kind of work you want, then click the company name to go straight to its current careers page. We don't copy job ads here, because they change daily.
Use the region filter to see employers on the East Coast, the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico), the inland rivers and elsewhere.
Before you apply, have your MMC, medical certificate, TWIC and drug test sorted out. Most employers ask for them. Get Your First Job →
Many union jobs are filled through hiring halls, not company websites. Unions & hiring halls →

Hiring now / worth checking (as of October 5, 2026)

Military Sealift Command lists career fairs from October through mid-December 2026, including virtual events and fairs in Virginia, California and Texas. MSC career fairs →
NOAA had no open mariner announcements on October 5. New announcements open for limited periods, so check the NOAA openings page regularly.

Government fleets

New: the Military & Government Sealift directory → explains the three different ways to work aboard government-supporting ships and where to apply for each.

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Military Sealift Command (MSC), Civil Service Mariners Federal civilian mariners on Navy support ships worldwide. Hiring events: MSC career fairs.	Nationwide	Deck, engine, steward (cooks), communications, medical; entry-level jobs	—
NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Applications accepted only while an announcement is open; check the openings page.	Nationwide	Deck, engine and steward jobs on NOAA research and survey ships	—
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Posted on USAJOBS. Search "Army Corps of Engineers" plus "deckhand" or "vessel".	Inland rivers, Nationwide	Deckhands, dredge crew, vessel masters, engineers	—
MARAD Ready Reserve Force MARAD doesn't hire crews directly. Commercial ship managers crew these ships under contract.	Nationwide	Small keep-ready crews; more when ships are activated	—

Employers by industry

Tug & barge

New: the full Tugs & Barges employer directory → sorts tug and barge employers into inland, coastal ATB, harbor and ocean work, with jobs, common credentials and employment contacts.

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Crowley Also Jones Act tankers and Puerto Rico service.	East Coast, Gulf of America, Alaska & Hawaii	Mariner positions	Mariner listings tagged "Union" (union not named)
Kirby (Inland and Offshore) Runs its own training center.	Gulf of America, Inland rivers	Vessel crew	—
Moran Towing	East Coast, Gulf of America	Captains, mates, engineers, deckhands	—
McAllister Towing Portland, Maine to San Juan. Asks for MMC, TWIC, drug test and Coast Guard physical.	East Coast	Captains, mates, engineers, AB, deckhands	—
Vane Brothers Baltimore-based.	East Coast	Mariner jobs	—
Reinauer Transportation New York and New England. Applications by email.	East Coast	Tug and barge crew	—
Crescent Towing Harbor tugs in New Orleans, Mobile and Savannah.	Gulf of America, East Coast	Captains, engineers, deckhands	—
Foss Maritime	West Coast, Alaska & Hawaii	Mariner and shoreside jobs	—
Centerline Logistics (formerly Harley Marine)	West Coast, Alaska & Hawaii	Deckhand, AB, mate, chief engineer	—

Inland rivers

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Marquette Transportation Typical schedule 28 days on, 14 off.	Inland rivers, Gulf of America	Captains, pilots, engineers, cooks, deckhand trainees, tankermen	—
Ingram Barge Company Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers.	Inland rivers	Deckhands, mates, pilots, engineers, cooks, tankermen	—
American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) Pittsburgh to the Gulf.	Inland rivers	Deckhands, cooks, pilots, captains	—
Canal Barge Company New Orleans-based.	Inland rivers, Gulf of America	Vessel crew	—

Offshore supply & energy

New: the full Offshore & Subsea employer directory → separates OSV operators, offshore drilling contractors and subsea/ROV companies, and shows which jobs need Coast Guard credentials.

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Edison Chouest Offshore Runs its own training center.	Gulf of America	Vessel and shore jobs	—
Hornbeck Offshore	Gulf of America	Vessel and shore jobs	—
Harvey Gulf	Gulf of America	Vessel crew	—
Otto Candies Also offshore wind and LNG support work.	Gulf of America	Masters, mates, engineers, QMED, AB, OS	—

Tankers & Jones Act shipping

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG)	Gulf of America, East Coast	Tanker, ATB and tug crews	—
Shell Shipping & Maritime International maritime careers, not U.S.-flag jobs. Shell manages LNG carriers and oil-product, chemical and crude-oil tankers. Its cadet pathway is based in the UK and Republic of Ireland; check nationality, credential and residency eligibility before applying.	International	Cadets, deck and engine officers	—
bp Shipping International maritime careers, not U.S.-flag jobs. bp’s shipping cadet programme runs in the UK, India and Singapore (UK cadets need permanent UK residency) and leads toward deck, engineering and electro-technical officer roles. Shipping cadet programme.	International	Cadets, deck and engine officers	—

Container & RO-RO ships

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Matson Seagoing jobs are usually filled through the unions.	Alaska & Hawaii, West Coast	Licensed and unlicensed seagoing jobs	Seagoing staff are union-represented (company annual report; unions not named)
TOTE Alaska and Jacksonville–Puerto Rico.	Alaska & Hawaii, East Coast	Licensed officers, engineers, LNG tankerman PIC	—
APL Marine Services (U.S.-flag) Pacific and worldwide routes.	Nationwide	Captain, chief officer, engineers, deck and engine crew	MM&P (masters and mates), MEBA (engineers), per APL's page

Dredging & marine construction

New: the full Dredging & Marine Construction directory → explains the jobs in this sector and lists the major contractors with their hiring contacts.

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock	Nationwide	Hourly vessel and field jobs	Has a separate hourly union jobs site (union not named)
Manson Construction	Nationwide	Watch engineers, deck captains	—
Weeks Marine	East Coast, Gulf of America	Craft and vessel jobs	Page titled "Union Careers" (union not named)

Ferries

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Staten Island Ferry (NYC DOT) Posted on NYC Jobs. Search "ferry".	East Coast	Captains, mates, marine engineers, deckhands	—
Cape May–Lewes Ferry (DRBA) Delaware Bay. Filter for the Marine department.	East Coast	Engineers, OS/AB, vessel operators, marine electricians	—
Washington State Ferries Puget Sound.	West Coast	OS, AB, oilers, wipers, engineers	Engineers filled through MEBA; IBU contract (per WSF and state pages)
Alaska Marine Highway System	Alaska & Hawaii	Masters, mates, AB, OS, engineers, oilers, wipers, stewards	MEBA represents licensed engineers (state contract)

Great Lakes

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Interlake Steamship	Great Lakes	Licensed officers, unlicensed crew	USW Local 5000 represents unlicensed crews
Key Lakes (Great Lakes Fleet)	Great Lakes	AB, OS/deckhand, QMED/oiler	USW Local 5000 (unlicensed)

Passenger vessels

Looking for yacht or charter work? See the Yachts & Charter directory → for superyacht crew agencies, U.S. charter credentials and private yacht careers.

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
American Cruise Lines	Nationwide, East Coast, Inland rivers	Pilots, deckhands, galley	—
Lindblad Expeditions Marine jobs listed in Seattle; ships sail worldwide.	Nationwide	Mates, deckhands, assistant engineers	—
City Experiences / Hornblower Harbor cruises and ferries in many cities.	Nationwide	Marine operations, captains	—

Fishing & processing

New: the full Commercial Fishing & Processing directory → explains fishing vessels, factory trawlers and shore processing, with questions to ask before you accept a berth.

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
American Seafoods Bering Sea factory trawlers.	Alaska & Hawaii	Vessel and processing crew	—
Trident Seafoods	Alaska & Hawaii, West Coast	Deckhands, licensed masters, engineers	—

Research vessels

New: the full Research, Specialty & Marine Response directory → covers research and survey ships plus oil-spill, salvage and emergency response employers.

Employer (opens careers page)	Region	Typical jobs	Union*
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution R/V Neil Armstrong and R/V Atlantis.	East Coast	Mates, AB, engineers, electrician, cook	—
Scripps Institution of Oceanography San Diego.	West Coast	Mates, AB, OS, engineers, oiler, wiper, cook	IBU (per Scripps page)
UNOLS (university research fleet) Jobs across the U.S. academic research fleet.	Nationwide	Varies by ship operator	—

*Union column: a union is listed only when the employer or another reliable source names it. A dash means no union was stated on the sources we checked, not that the company is non-union. Ask the employer or the union hall.

Tips before you apply

Apply on the company's own site. Be wary of third-party "job placement" sites that charge mariners fees.
Match the job to your credential. Postings usually list the endorsements, STCW training and sea time required.
Expect a drug test and background checks. Drugs, Alcohol & DUI →
Look at the schedule. Rotations such as 28 on / 14 off or 14/14 vary by company and trade.
Keep every sea-service letter from every job. What Counts as Sea Time? →

THE CAPTAIN SAYS…

Apply to more than one company, and call the office after you apply. Crewing departments hire people who show up prepared: credentials in hand, documents current, and ready to go when a berth opens.

Know an employer we should add, or a link that's broken? Email captk@marinersonline.com.

For information only. Mariners Online is independent and not affiliated with any employer, union or agency listed. We don't receive payment for listings. Hiring needs change; confirm details with the employer.