You can get into all kinds of careers. Usually, you will figure out something for which you have an aptitude. Other individuals might get into a certain niche not so much because they like it or have a special knack for it, but because they feel it’s one of the more potentially profitable options available.
If you get into a maritime profession, then maybe it’s because you like it, or perhaps it’s more for the potential profitability. In this article, we will talk about maritime professions. We will discuss both their pros and cons.
Maritime Work Carries an Inherent Risk Element
We’ll start by talking about some possible negatives if you decide to work in a maritime profession. The term, for anyone unfamiliar, simply means that you work on the ocean in some capacity.
If you work on the ocean, that often brings with it a danger element that you can’t easily ignore. Your vessel might smash into another if you’re both moving in heavy fog. Your boat might overturn if there’s a huge storm that you didn’t expect.
You must follow protocol after a maritime accident, but in some cases, you will probably feel lucky to walk away with your life and all of your limbs intact. If two vessels collide, or if your boat capsizes, you can easily drown or sustain some serious injuries.
You might also injure yourself while working on a boat. You’re usually working with heavy objects and sharp tools.
If something shifts position and crushes one of your limbs, that might cause a situation where you can never do that kind of work again. Your whole life might change from that point forward because of a single incident while working on a ship in the maritime profession.
There’s No Guarantee You’ll Make Any Money
There’s one more notable con that you’ll have to accept if you get into this niche. If you work in a maritime profession, you might make money, but you may also make nothing at all.
If you’re working for the Coast Guard or the Marines, then you have a guaranteed base salary. However, if you work on a fishing vessel, you only make money if you bring in a decent catch, or any catch at all.
In today’s world, with climate change a growing concern, you might have seasons or years when you don’t catch very many fish. The warmer ocean water makes it easier for some fish to spawn, but others can’t thrive without colder water temperatures.
If you don’t bring in a good catch, then you might break even on a voyage, or you may lose money. If that happens, you must hope that you have enough cash in savings to support yourself and your family for a while.
You Can Get into the Family Business
You should certainly consider some of the possible pros if you get into a maritime profession, though. If you captain a fishing vessel or do underwater salvage, maybe that means you’re getting into the family business.
If you grew up with a parent, uncle, grandparent, or some other family members who worked in one of these professions, then you might like the idea of doing the same thing. It often gives people a nice feeling if they can keep doing the same work that previous generations of their family members did.
Maybe You Will Love Working on the Water
You may also love working on the water. Maybe you’ve read books like Moby Dick or Treasure Island, and you enjoy the descriptions of that kind of a life.
It’s true that working on the ocean in 2025 doesn’t much resemble the lifestyles described in such books, but there’s still lots that appealing about getting out on the water every day. You may feel like you’re one with nature.
You can learn the sea’s moods. You can fill your lungs with the salt air and feel free and unencumbered. Even in the 21st century, you still have some people who can’t resist the seafaring life, and they don’t feel comfortable when they’re on shore.
You Can Potentially Make a Lot of Money
You can also potentially make a lot of money working on the sea, depending on the job you do. We mentioned becoming a member of the Navy or the Coast Guard. You may not get rich doing that, but it’s steady work, and you will also get healthcare and other benefits.
If you work on a commercial fishing vessel, though, it’s also possible that you will have some seasons where you have a great catch. If you have several in a row, that’s potentially very lucrative.
You can put some of the cash you earn toward buying a house. You can also sometimes make a substantial amount of money if you do oceanic salvage. You can often sell what you find. Every once in a while, you may run across something that fetches you a high price.
You Can Work with People Who Understand You
There is also a sense of kinship that exists between people who work on the sea. While it’s not something that everyone wants to do, it does seem to attract some likeminded souls.
If you work on a boat with people who you like, you might that it’s the only life for you. You get to work outdoors with your hands alongside individuals who you respect. You might feel that you’ve found your purpose and place in the world.
The seafaring life won’t make everyone happy. You must weigh the potential rewards against the risks. However, you might find that some of the professions we’ve described will make you happier than you’d imagined.
You are doing something that’s completely different from slinging burgers at a fast-food restaurant or sitting in front of a computer in a cubicle all day. You’re living the life aquatic, and you are part of a long and noble tradition that goes back centuries.
