All passenger ships and some freighters and tankers employ pursers. Pursers do the complicated paper work that is necessary each time a ship enters a port. They keep the ship's accounts and prepare and keep records of payroll. Pursers also assist the ship's passengers whenever necessary.
Recently pursers have been trained as pharmacists' mates in order to improve health care on board ships. They are in charge of the medicine chest and first aid care. They are also responsible for filing injury reports.
The chief purser heads the purser's department. On passenger ships there are fairly large pursers' departments. Fewer pursers are needed on cargo ships.
Education and Training
If you are interested in becoming a purser, you should take commercial courses in high school or in business school. Experience in typing and bookkeeping is useful.
To qualify for the job, you need a license from the U.S. Coast Guard. Pursers get such a license either through promotion or by taking courses at maritime training schools. These schools include the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and the state academies in California, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Texas. There are other schools that offer general seamanship training to a limited number of people with no experience at sea. Some people get sea experience by serving in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard.
To enter the federal academies, you must be between 17 and 22 years of age and single. You should also be a high school graduate, a U.S. citizen, and in good physical condition. Candidates for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy or U.S. Naval Academy must be nominated by members of Congress. You can apply directly to the other schools.
Getting the Job
Attending a marine academy is a good way of testing your interest in a job aboard ship. It is also one of the most direct routes to becoming a purser. Most schools have job placement offices that offer job information.
Employment Outlook
There are several titles for pursers. Assistant pursers may advance to jobs as first class, cabin class, or tourist class pursers on passenger ships. From there they may go on to become pursers and then executive pursers. The highest job in the purser's department is that of chief purser. Union upgrading schools help people advance from such jobs as assistant purser to positions as purser and chief purser.
The outlook for employment in the merchant marine industry is expected to be poor. Foreign competition is expected to slow the growth of the nation's fleet. It is expected that the number of graduates of maritime training schools will exceed the growth in demand. There will be a small number of job openings each year to replace experienced merchant marine pursers who retire or leave their positions for other reasons.
Working Conditions
Accommodations on ships are clean and adequate but not luxurious. As with all merchant marine occupations, the work is fairly hazardous. At sea pursers risk injury from falls, fire, collision, and sinking. Pursers are away from home for long periods of time. They rarely have a chance to explore ports they visit.
Earnings and Benefits
The basic yearly wage for pursers is about $27,000 to $30,000. Yearly base pay for pursers is calculated on the basis of a 40 hour workweek. Bonus and overtime wages usually equal an additional 50 percent of the basic pay. However, pursers are on call regularly for medical and other emergencies.
Benefits include 18 to 30 days of vacation for each 30 days of work. Medical care, hospital insurance, and pension plans are provided, as are room and board. Partial pensions are available for those who retire early because of permanent disabilities.
