AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 53-5011.00
Will AI replace Sailors and Marine Oilers?
Sailors and Marine Oilers: AI can already handle 2 of 28 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 28 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Sailors and Marine Oilers, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examine machinery to verify specified pressures or lubricant flows. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Stand by wheels when ships are on automatic pilot, and verify accuracy of courses, using magnetic compasses. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Steer ships under the direction of commanders or navigating officers or direct helmsmen to steer, following designated courses. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain government-issued certifications, as required. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain a ship's engines under the direction of the ship's engineering officers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide engineers with assistance in repairing or adjusting machinery. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Operate, maintain, or repair ship equipment, such as winches, cranes, derricks, or weapons system. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Break out, rig, and stow cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, or running gear. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lubricate machinery, equipment, or engine parts, such as gears, shafts, or bearings. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lower and man lifeboats when emergencies occur. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Relay specified signals to other ships, using visual signaling devices, such as blinker lights or semaphores. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Overhaul lifeboats or lifeboat gear and lower or raise lifeboats with winches or falls. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Stand gangway watches to prevent unauthorized persons from boarding ships while in port. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load or unload materials, vehicles, or passengers from vessels. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record data in ships' logs, such as weather conditions or distances traveled. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Paint or varnish decks, superstructures, lifeboats, or sides of ships. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Give directions to crew members engaged in cleaning wheelhouses or quarterdecks. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Measure depth of water in shallow or unfamiliar waters, using leadlines, and telephone or shout depth information to vessel bridges. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean and polish wood trim, brass, or other metal parts. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Participate in shore patrols. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 28 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 28 of 28. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 30% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 34% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 66% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 31,670
- Median annual wage
- $51,520
- Middle half of earners
- $41,430 to $67,590
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +2.3%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Ship Engineers 71% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure18
- Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels 71% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure24
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure47
- Motorboat Operators 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure16
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders 59% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure22
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Sailors and Marine Oilers and AI
Will AI replace Sailors and Marine Oilers?
AI already handles 2 of the 28 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 23 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +2.3% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Sailors and Marine Oilers?
23 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 28 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 28 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Sailors and Marine Oilers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Examine machinery to verify specified pressures or lubricant flows; Stand by wheels when ships are on automatic pilot, and verify accuracy of courses, using magnetic compasses. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 30% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 66% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Sailors and Marine Oilers, and what do they earn?
31,670 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $51,520 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +2.3% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Sailors and Marine Oilers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/sailors-and-marine-oilers
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