船員 船員
What 船員 do
An English description is being prepared. Japanese description:
船員は、船長、機関長、航海士などの職員（オフィサー）と甲板員や機関員などの部員（クルー）に分けられるが、ここでは部員について説明する。
船員は、総責任者である船長以下、大型船では、甲板部、機関部、無線部、事務部などに分かれて配置される。船の大きさ、種類、航路などにより、配置はかなり異なっている。
甲板部には、航海士や甲板員が配置され、船の舵取り、見張り、入出港作業、離岸・接岸作業、荷物の積み降ろし準備、船の手入れなどの作業を行う。
機関部には、機関士や機関員が配置され、エンジンや発電機の運転と保守作業を行う。冷凍船やコンテナ船の場合には、冷凍機などの運転や整備点検などの作業も行うことがある。
無線部では、陸上や他の船舶と無線や衛星を使用した通信を行う。また、事務部では、出入国書類の作成などの船内事務を行う。船員や乗客のための調理を行う司厨員なども船員に含まれる。
◇ よく使う道具、機材、情報技術等
船（カーフェリー、貨物船、観光船等）
Employment type of workers
船員 salary
The average annual pay for 船員 in Japan is ¥4.70M (≈ $29,896; Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), national). The estimated median is ¥4.37M, the typical range is ¥3.30M–¥7.85M and the top 10% earn about ¥6.80M.
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The distribution is estimated from Japan's national wage statistics, including pay differences by age.
Pay by ageest.
Estimated from the average pay and average age (47.1) using the age-wage curve of the Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
Pay by experienceest.
Pay by employment typeest.
The average hourly wage of ¥2,153 is 1.8× Japan's national average minimum wage of ¥1,177 (fiscal 2026). Minimum wage by prefecture →
Japanese pay is shown in yen (¥5.57M = 5.57 million yen ≈ 557万円). Dollar figures use the current rate of 157.25 yen per dollar and are for reference only; purchasing power differs.
Pay over time
| Year | Average pay | Employment | Openings ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ¥4.33M | — | — |
| 2022 | ¥4.54M | — | — |
| 2023 | ¥4.57M | — | 0.83x |
| 2024 | ¥4.67M | — | 0.77x |
| 2025 | ¥4.70M | — | 0.73x |
Projected pay for 船員 (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today ¥4.70M → in 3 years ¥5.01M → in 5 years ¥5.24M → in 10 years ¥5.83M (10-year range ¥5.01M–¥6.77M). The model assumes pay growth of +2.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (the job-openings-to-applicants ratio), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for 船員
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace 船員? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using the MHLW job tag survey on work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for 船員
A ratio above 1.0 means there are more job openings than applicants (a labor shortage). The 5- and 10-year figures are estimates from the openings ratio, wage momentum and AI replacement risk.
The same job in the United States
| 船員 Japan | Sailors and Marine Oilers United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | ¥4.70M ≈ $29,896 | $51,520 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | ¥5.83M | $70,300 |
| Outlook score | 45 | 60 |
| AI replacement risk | 35% Low | 24% Low |
| Workers | — | 32K |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for 船員
Key skills
Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Licenses and certifications (Japan)
- 海技士免許（航海・機関・通信） National license
Related qualifications listed on job tag (names in Japanese). Some are mandatory, others recommended.
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience, licenses)
How to become 船員
The typical path in Japan is shown by the education, training and experience of current workers above and in the Japanese guidance below. A detailed English guide for this occupation is being prepared.
Guidance from job tag (Japanese)
厳しい自然環境と不規則な労働に耐えられる体力と忍耐力が求められる。また、船は船長を中心とする運命共同体であるため、秩序を重んじ、船内の規律を守ることが厳しく要求される。航海士・機関士になった場合には、船長を助け、自らを律し、甲板員、機関員を直接指揮してチームワークを作り上げるリーダーシップが求められる。
Career path and how to earn more as 船員
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.