The ship's electrician — in STCW terms the electro-technical rating — maintains and repairs the electrical equipment on board under the direction of the ETO or the engineers. On some ships the electrician works alongside an ETO; on others, smaller ones especially, the electrician is the only electrical specialist on board. For electricians from shore it is also one of the most direct ways to sea. This guide covers the duties, the difference from the ETO, the certificate, a typical day, the interview and how to get the first contract.
What the electrician does
- Maintenance of electrical equipment. Motors, starters, lighting, cables, junction boxes and distribution panels — inspection, cleaning, testing, repair.
- Insulation readings and tests. Regular measurements and records, and finding the faults the readings point to.
- Deck machinery. The electrical side of cranes, winches, windlasses and hatch covers.
- Emergency equipment. Emergency lighting, batteries, the emergency generator's electrical side, alarm and signal circuits.
- Galley and accommodation. Ovens, refrigerators, laundry, air conditioning — everything the crew notices first when it breaks.
- Helping the ETO and engineers with larger jobs, fault-finding and planned maintenance.
Electrician or ETO?
- Level: the electrician is a rating; the ETO is an officer.
- STCW: the electrician holds III/7 (electro-technical rating); the ETO holds III/6.
- Work: the electrician carries out maintenance and repairs; the ETO also plans, diagnoses complex automation and power management, and answers for the electrical plant to the chief engineer.
- Pay: the ETO is paid at officer level, the electrician at senior-rating level.
Many electricians later study for the ETO certificate.
A typical day
The electrician is usually a day worker, roughly 08:00–17:00: the jobs of the planned maintenance system in the morning, repairs and requests from the crew in the afternoon. Breakdowns — a crane, a reefer, a galley oven — come at any hour, and in port the cargo gear often decides the day.
Differences by vessel type
- Bulk carriers and general cargo: cranes and hatch covers, outdoors, in salt and rain.
- Container ships: reefer containers — connecting, monitoring and repairing them is often the electrician's main job.
- Tankers and gas carriers: explosion-proof (Ex) equipment in hazardous areas and strict permits.
- Passenger ships: a large electrical department with several electricians, cabins, galleys and hotel systems on a big scale.
- Offshore: diesel-electric plants and thrusters; often a mix of marine and offshore safety training.
Certificates and documents
- Electro-technical rating (STCW III/7).
- Basic Training (refreshed every five years) and Security Awareness or Designated Security Duties.
- Medical certificate — valid for at most two years.
- High Voltage awareness or training where the ship has a high-voltage plant.
- A seaman's book and passport; a shore electrical qualification is a strong plus.
What it takes
Under STCW Regulation III/7, the electro-technical rating must be at least 18 and have one of:
- approved seagoing service including at least 12 months of training and experience; or
- approved training including at least six months of approved seagoing service; or
- qualifications that meet the competences of the STCW Code for this rating, plus at least three months of approved seagoing service.
The third route is the one many shore electricians use: the qualification is already there, and the sea time is short.
How to get the first contract
- Get the STCW basics first: Basic Training, medical, seaman's book.
- Show your shore experience in detail: industrial installations, motors, PLCs, high voltage — with dates.
- Ask the agency which route to III/7 your administration recognises.
- Start where electricians are carried: container ships with reefers, passenger ships, larger offshore vessels.
- Never pay for a placement — under MLC 2006 recruitment fees must not be charged to the seafarer.
Contracts and rotation
Electricians usually sail four to nine months, depending on the company. MLC 2006 limits time on board before repatriation to less than 12 months, and the rest-hour minimums — 10 hours in 24 and 77 in seven days — apply to every rating.
Interview questions for an electrician
- "How do you measure insulation resistance, and what is a bad reading?"
- "A motor trips on overload — what do you check?" The load, the motor, the starter, the settings.
- "How do you isolate equipment safely before work?" Lock-out, tag-out, testing for dead.
- "A reefer container shows an alarm — your steps?"
- "What is different about equipment in a hazardous area?" Ex marking, no improvised repairs.
- "What shore electrical work have you done?" Concretely.
Common mistakes
- A CV that hides the shore qualification — for this rank it is often the strongest argument.
- Applying as ETO without the III/6 certificate.
- No Basic Training — the most common reason a shore electrician is turned down.
- Paying an agency. An honest agency is paid by the shipowner.
FAQ
Can a shore electrician go to sea?
Yes. STCW III/7 has a route for people whose qualification already covers the competences, with as little as three months of approved sea service.
Do I need English?
Basic technical English, yes — manuals, alarms and the engineers are in English.
What is the next step after electrician?
The ETO certificate under STCW III/6, which brings officer rank and pay.
Is "electrician" the same as "electro-technical rating"?
Yes — the second is the STCW name.
Pay and jobs
The electrician is a senior rating; the pay sits above most ratings and below the ETO. The current range from real vacancies is on the electrician jobs page; see the ETO jobs for the next step and compare ranks on our salaries page.
Your CV
Crewing desks read an electrician's CV for the shore qualification, equipment worked on and vessel types. The maritime CV puts them on one page.
Requirements follow STCW and MLC 2006; your flag state may add its own. Check them with your maritime administration.