Ship and hovercraft officers Pay Data UK — 2025

Ship and hovercraft officers roles in the UK earn a median of £62,500 per year, equivalent to £31.52 per hour as of 2025. Pay decreased 1.0% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £53,500 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £76,500 in Scotland. Pay has risen over the past 4 years.

Labour Market

Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Ship and hovercraft officers across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.

Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay fell by -1.0% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Ship and hovercraft officers.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Ship and hovercraft officers

Ship and hovercraft officers command and navigate ships and other craft, co-ordinate the activities of officers and deck and engine room ratings, operate and maintain communications equipment on board ship and undertake minor repairs to engines, boilers and other mechanical and electrical equipment.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• allocates duties to ship’s officers and co-ordinates and directs the activities of deck and engine room ratings
• directs or undertakes the operation of controls to inflate air cushions, run engines and propel and steer ships, hovercraft and other vessels
• locates the position of vessel using electronic and other navigational aids such as charts and compasses and advises on navigation where appropriate
• monitors the operation of engines, generators and other mechanical and electrical equipment and undertakes any necessary minor repairs
• maintains radio contact with other vessels and coast stations
• prepares watch keeping rota and maintains a look-out for other vessels or obstacles
• maintains log of vessel’s progress, weather conditions, conduct of crew, etc

Entry Routes and Qualifications

Entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades and A levels/H grades. Good colour vision without spectacles or contact lenses is required for some posts and candidates must undergo a medical examination. Training lasts three to four years and combines taught courses and assessed training at sea.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.