Supply Chain & Transportation

Ship Pilot

What To Learn

High School

Suggested Steps to Prepare for a Ship Pilot Career (Grades 6-12)

Check out the recommended classes, activities and skills below for each grade level. These recommendations are very general -- discuss your specific course plan with your school counselors and teachers.

AI-assisted and curriculum-reviewed guidance. Talk with your counselor or teacher about your specific plan.
Grades 6-8

Helpful Classes

  • Math
  • Technology
  • Science
  • Communication

Things to Try

  • Track routes, maps, schedules, or checklists during a transportation-themed activity, Learn how safety checks, communication, and timing keep people or goods moving, Compare different vehicles or transport systems and explain what each is best for, Interview a ship pilot about safety, procedures, and coordination

Focus Skills

  • Attention
  • Coordination
  • Communication
  • Judgment
  • Safety awareness

Helpful Classes

  • Transportation Technology
  • Algebra I
  • English
  • Physical Science
  • Computer Applications

Recommended Learning Areas

  • route planning
  • safety checks
  • regulations
  • logs
  • operations

Things to Try

  • Practice reading maps, route plans, or schedules and checking for delays or conflicts, Observe how drivers, dispatchers, or pilots use logs, signals, and safety checks, Create a mock delivery, bus, or travel plan with times, stops, and backup options, Shadow a ship pilot or transportation worker to see how trips are documented

Focus Skills

  • Attention
  • Coordination
  • Communication
  • Judgment
  • Safety awareness

Helpful Classes

  • Automotive or Aviation Basics
  • Geometry
  • English
  • Safety
  • Logistics

Recommended Learning Areas

  • route planning
  • safety checks
  • regulations
  • logs
  • operations

Things to Try

  • Track a route, load plan, or dispatch scenario and explain how you would improve it, Practice pre-trip checks, communication steps, and problem-solving during delays, Compare how ground, rail, air, or delivery systems handle timing and safety, Use logs or records to monitor fuel, mileage, travel time, or service issues

Focus Skills

  • Attention
  • Coordination
  • Communication
  • Judgment
  • Safety awareness

Helpful Classes

  • Transportation Systems
  • Physics
  • Technical Writing
  • Geography
  • Logistics

Recommended Learning Areas

  • route planning
  • safety checks
  • regulations
  • logs
  • operations

Things to Try

  • Complete a transportation project tied to routing, dispatch, safety, or equipment checks, Practice using schedules, maps, or digital tools to plan efficient movement, Observe how regulations, weather, and maintenance affect transportation work, Interview professionals about coordination, customer service, and safe operations

Focus Skills

  • Attention
  • Coordination
  • Communication
  • Judgment
  • Safety awareness

Helpful Classes

  • Transportation Systems
  • Safety
  • Technical Writing
  • Logistics
  • Mechanics

Recommended Learning Areas

  • route planning
  • safety checks
  • regulations
  • logs
  • operations

Things to Try

  • Build a portfolio with route plans, safety logs, schedules, and operations notes, Complete a capstone tied to transportation systems, dispatch, or travel operations, Compare pathways in driving, aviation, rail, dispatch, and logistics support, Practice documentation, communication, and decision-making under time pressure

Focus Skills

  • Attention
  • Coordination
  • Communication
  • Judgment
  • Safety awareness

Beyond High School

Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations.

Bachelor's degree

Water transportation workers typically complete U.S. Coast Guard-approved training programs. Most water transportation jobs require the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) from the Transportation Security Administration and a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC), plus any related endorsements, from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Insider Info

Additional Information

There are several ways you can enter this career.

If you want to become a navigator in the Merchant Marine, you can attend the Merchant Marine Academy, or one of the six state academies. You must also complete a written examination, a physical test and a drug test.

Following successful completion, you will be licensed as a third mate. You can then move up by the ranks to eventually become a ship's master or captain.

You can also become a marine navigator without any formal training if you pass the written exam and have at least three years of sea experience. But it is difficult to pass the examination without formal schooling or independent study. Also, because you may work only a few months a year, it may take you more than three years to get the necessary experience.

As for the U.S. Coast Guard, you can become a navigator by enrolling in the Coast Guard Academy following graduation from high school, or by enrolling in its officer training school following college graduation. Enlisted personnel can also work in navigation, Sturgis says.

And for the United States Navy, you can work in navigation as a non-commissioned quartermaster or as a commissioned surface warfare officer.

Extra Requirements

Mariners who work on ships traveling on the open ocean require the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STWC) endorsement. Regional U.S. Coast Guard offices provide this training. Mariners who work on inland waterways and the Great Lakes are excluded from the STWC endorsement. Pilots are licensed by the state in which they work. The U.S. Coast Guard licenses pilots on the Great Lakes. The requirements for these licenses vary, depending on where a pilot works.

For additional information, visit these websites: