Tugboat Deckhand Jobs: Salary, Duties, 5 Steps to Get Hired
Who is hiring for tugboat deckhand jobs?
Tugboat deckhand jobs in the US come from three kinds of towing company. Which one you join decides the work, the schedule and the pay.
| Type of towing | What the boat does | How you live | Who hires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor / ship assist | Docks and undocks ships, escorts tankers, shifts barges around a port | Shifts or short rotations. Some ports hire local relief deckhands | Moran (East Coast), Foss and Crowley (West Coast) |
| Coastal / ocean | Tows or pushes barges between ports | Aboard for weeks at a time | Crowley, Foss |
| Inland / towboat | Pushes strings of barges on rivers and the Intracoastal Waterway | Aboard for weeks. Kirby's entry posting says "2 for 1 schedule up to 30 days", 12-hour shifts | Kirby |
There's no standard rotation. You'll hear 14/14 and 21/21 talked about, but each company and each boat sets its own, so read the posting.
What does a tugboat deckhand do? (job description)
The duties below are taken from real 2026 postings by Kirby, Foss and Moran (checked 29 October 2026):
- Lines. Putting lines and cables on and off barges, docks and locks. Kirby says you'll re-tend lines 4 to 8 times during one load or discharge as the barge rises or sinks.
- Making up and breaking tows. Joining barges into a tow and taking it apart again (Foss).
- Ship work. Line handling on deck while the tug docks a ship or ties up (Moran).
- Watches. Lookout duty and engine room rounds (Moran).
- Maintenance. Washing down, priming and painting, and small repairs with hand tools, pumps and grinders (Kirby).
- Housekeeping. Cleaning and sometimes cooking. Foss has deckhands clean "every surface that is a common area utilized by crew".
The tug W P Scott towing NASA's Pegasus barge near Kennedy Space Center in 2007. Making up and tending tow lines like these is core deckhand work. Photo: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis, public domain.
The job is physical. Among Kirby's requirements: climbing a 25–30 foot vertical ladder while carrying weight, lifting 75 lbs, carrying 50 lbs for about 350 feet, and passing a lung function test with a score of at least 75%. You'll also work outside in heat, cold and rain, and the 12-hour shifts carry on through holidays.
Tugboat deckhand salary: how much do tugboat deckhands make?
The BLS doesn't track tugboat deckhands on their own. Its closest match, sailors and marine oilers, had a national median of $51,520 a year ($24.77 an hour, about $4,290 a month) in May 2025. The bottom 10% earned under $34,560 and the top 10% over $83,620. Company postings in 2026 ranged from $18 to $43 an hour, or $221 a day inland.
Sources: the BLS Occupational Outlook and BLS OEWS data, May 2025, checked 29 October 2026. Here's how that median splits across the industries where tug crews work:
| Industry (sailors and marine oilers only) | Median per year | Median per hour | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| All US | $51,520 | $24.77 | 31,670 |
| Inland water transportation (towboats, barges) | $50,060 | $24.07 | 8,960 |
| Support activities for water transportation (includes harbor tug services) | $59,370 | $28.54 | 6,820 |
| Deep sea, coastal and Great Lakes | $61,480 | $29.56 | 4,590 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 53-5011.
You may also see $65,660 quoted for inland water. That's the median for every water transport job in that industry, captains and engineers included, so deckhands alone earn less (see our deckhand salary guide).
A towboat pushing barges on the Mississippi at St. Paul, Minnesota. Inland towing employs more US deckhands than harbor or coastal towing. Photo: Pete Markham, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Company postings show the real rates. All were checked on 29 October 2026:
| Employer and role | Where | Pay | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirby Inland Marine, entry-level inland deckhand | Channelview, TX | $221/day plus benefits | Open |
| Moran, full-time and casual relief deckhand | Morehead City, NC | $18–$23/hour | Aug 2026, closed |
| Foss, deckhand engineer OS (union) | Seattle, WA | $30.21/hour | Apr 2026, closed |
| Moran, deckhand | Staten Island, NY | $40–$43/hour | May 2026, closed |
Harbor pay depends heavily on the port: New York paid about twice what Morehead City did. On the inland side, a day rate is only part of the picture. At $221 a day, your yearly pay comes down to how many days you spend aboard.
What qualifications do you need to become a tugboat deckhand?
You need four things: a TWIC card, a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) with an entry-level rating such as Ordinary Seafarer, a Coast Guard drug test and a Coast Guard physical (form CG-719K). Moran will take you without an MMC as long as you apply for one within 60 days of starting. Our deckhand jobs guide walks through the TWIC and MMC paperwork step by step.
How do you get a tugboat deckhand job with no experience?
- Get your TWIC. It comes first, because Kirby won't accept your application until the card is in your hand.
- Apply for your MMC with an entry-level rating (Ordinary Seafarer). These ratings don't need a professional exam or sea time.
- Pass the Coast Guard physical and drug test. Kirby also screens your driving record: no DWI or DUI in the last three years.
- Apply direct to companies with entry-level postings. Kirby's entry-level inland deckhand job asks for no maritime experience, though it prefers 12 months of steady work in any job. If you'd rather train first, the Seafarers International Union runs an Unlicensed Apprentice Program at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Maryland.
- Live where the boats are. Moran's Morehead City posting only accepted applicants living within 30–40 miles of the port.
The career ladder: deckhand, then Apprentice Mate of Towing Vessels, which takes 18 months of service (12 of them on towing vessels) plus an exam (46 CFR 11.466). Next comes Mate (Pilot) of Towing Vessels (11.465), then Master of Towing Vessels (11.464). For how Coast Guard licences work, see our USCG captain's license guide.
Where are tugboat deckhand jobs?
- Gulf Coast and the rivers: Kirby's entry-level postings are based around Channelview and Houston, and new hires drive to company "hub cities" to join their boats. Kirby careers.
- East Coast harbors: Moran posts deckhand jobs in ports including New York Harbor (Staten Island) and Morehead City, NC.
- West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii: Foss provides ship assist to ports on the West Coast and in Alaska and Hawaii. Crowley runs ship assist in Los Angeles and Long Beach and took delivery of a new chartered tug, Venture, there in October 2026 (Baird Maritime). Crowley careers.
The Foss tug Lauren Foss on Elliott Bay, Seattle, with a container ship and a Washington State ferry behind. Puget Sound is one of the West Coast's busiest tug harbors. Photo: Ingrid Taylar, CC BY 2.0.
West Coast harbor jobs can be union jobs. Foss's Seattle posting required you to be a union member or able to join on hire.
Can you get relief or temporary tugboat deckhand work?
Yes, mainly in harbor ship assist. Moran's Morehead City posting (August 2026) hired casual relief deckhands as well as full-time ones. The posting doesn't define the term, but casual relief normally means no fixed rotation: you get called when a boat needs a hand. That's why the posting only took people living close to the port.
It works the same way in yachting, where boats need local crew at short notice. That's what Radius is built for. Crew sign up free, check in at their port, and get their ENG1, STCW and CV verified. Captains, heads of department and recruiters then search a live map for crew who are available nearby. Radius is aimed at yacht crew, so it's most useful if you're also open to yacht daywork.
Tugboat deckhand vs yacht deckhand
Tugboat deckhand jobs and yacht deckhand jobs share the line handling and the wash-downs, but not the paperwork. On a tug you need a TWIC and an MMC, you're paid in dollars by the day or hour, and the work is barges and ships. A junior yacht deckhand needs STCW Basic Training and an ENG1 medical instead. They earn €2,800–€3,200 a month in base pay (YPI Crew, 2026), plus food, a bunk and charter tips, and spend their days washing down, handling lines and looking after guests. See how to get a junior deckhand job on a yacht, the deckhand salary guide and our yacht jobs hub.
FAQ
What is the minimum age for tugboat deckhand hiring?
Kirby's entry-level posting requires you to be 18. The Coast Guard issues an entry MMC from 16 with parental consent, but most companies hire adults.
Do you need experience to be a tugboat deckhand?
No maritime experience is needed for entry-level inland jobs like Kirby's. Its posting prefers 12 months of steady work in any job.
How long are tugboat deckhand hitches?
It depends on the company. Kirby's inland posting describes a "2 for 1" schedule of up to 30 days, with 12-hour shifts that include holidays. Harbor relief work is called in as needed.
Do tugboat deckhands live on the boat?
On inland and coastal boats, yes. Kirby asks that you can "live and work in close quarters" and spend time away from family. Harbor crews often live locally.
Do you have to join a union?
On some boats, yes. Foss's Seattle posting required union membership or joining on hire. Kirby's posting didn't mention a union.