How to become a Ships' Deck Officer or Pilot
Official title: Ships' Deck Officers and Pilots
Commands and navigates ships, and guides ships in and out of ports as a marine pilot.
Main tasks
- Command ships while under way and at berth
- Plan, supervise and coordinate deck and bridge activities
- Pilot ships in and out of ports and through channels, bays and other waters that need special knowledge to navigate
- Make sure cargo is loaded and unloaded safely and that the hull and equipment are sound
- Make sure crew and passengers follow safety rules and procedures
- Arrange supplies and equipment when ships come into port, recruit crew, and provide services other than engineering
Ways in
- Technical college: Technical and vocational college programme. Universities of science and technology and junior colleges run departments in related fields: transport services (1041). Departments in academic year 114 (2025-26): four-year technical bachelor's (四技) 4, two-year technical bachelor's (二技) 2, five-year junior college (五專) 2, two-year junior college (二專) 1. Fields matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
- Licence (national exam): Regulated profession. To practise as a marine pilot you must pass the national Professional and Technical Examination (專門職業及技術人員考試) for 引水人 and hold the certificate. Listed in the annex to article 2 of the Enforcement Rules of the Professional and Technical Examinations Act, item 13.
- Licence (national exam): Regulated profession. To practise as a ship deck officer you must pass the national Professional and Technical Examination (專門職業及技術人員考試) for 一等航行員船副、二等航行員船副 and hold the certificate. Listed in the annex to article 2 of the Enforcement Rules of the Professional and Technical Examinations Act, item 8.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Average pay: NT$1,723,000 a year
- Demand for Science and engineering jobs is projected at about 952,000 in 2024 and about 1,072,000 in 2030. (+12.6%)
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Ships' Engineers
- Aircraft Pilots and Related Associate Professionals
- Air Traffic Controllers
- Air Traffic Safety Electronics Technicians
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Ships' Deck Officer or Pilot?
Ways in include: Technical and vocational college programme.
How much does a Ships' Deck Officer or Pilot earn in Taiwan?
Average pay is NT$1,723,000 a year (Ministry of Labor, Department of Statistics).
Is a Ships' Deck Officer or Pilot a growing career in Taiwan?
Demand for this job family is projected to change 12.6% from 2024 to 2030 (National Development Council).
Will AI change the work of a Ships' Deck Officer or Pilot?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Labor, Department of Statistics: Occupational Wage Survey (職類別薪資調查) (2025 survey (July 2025 monthly, 2024 annual), released 2026-05-29), Open Government Data License, version 1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- National Development Council: Final manpower demand projections by occupation (職業別最終人力需求推估) (2025 to 2030 (base 2024), 13 job families), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026