How To Become A Ship Steward: What It Is and Career Path

What is a ship steward and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A ship's steward is commonly referred to as the housekeeper of a ship. The role is quite indispensable as they see to the welfare of all guests and crew members and ensure the cleanliness of the ship. A ship steward organizes the feeding of guests and crew members by offering menus, assisting kitchen staff, and serving where necessary. You are also required to ensure the cleanliness of the ships, starting from all rooms to general areas on the ship. You might be required to take inventory and ensure the restocking of kitchen items, toiletries, and minibars when necessary. Sweeping, mopping floors, cleaning, and sanitizing of kitchenware, counters, and work areas are some of the duties you might perform as a ship steward.

The average salary for a ship steward is $14 per hour, which amounts to $28,817 annually. A high school diploma would usually suffice along with some work experience as a salesperson, kitchen assistant, or receptionist. It helps if you've had experience with a hotel, restaurant, or bar. All you need is a positive attitude, willingness to learn, inventory-taking skills, cleaning skills, and problem-solving skills.

ScoreShip StewardUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,683

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.5

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%

Asian 4.67%

Black or African American 29.44%

Hispanic or Latino 15.65%

Unknown 4.91%

White 44.63%

Gender

female 31.18%

male 68.82%

Age - 57

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 57

Stress Level

6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

3.6

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a ship steward

Explore ship steward education requirements

Most common ship steward degrees

Bachelor's

34.1 %

High School Diploma

32.6 %

Associate

15.3 %

Start to develop specific ship steward skills

Skills	Percentages
Cleanliness	16.43%
Kitchen Equipment	9.67%
Culinary	6.04%
Customer Service	5.60%
Sanitation Standards	5.34%

Complete relevant ship steward training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New ship stewards learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a ship steward based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real ship steward resumes.

Gain additional ship steward certifications

Ship steward certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific ship steward certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for ship stewards include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS).

More About Certifications

Research ship steward duties and responsibilities

Operate a POS system and manage cash and credit card sales.
Collaborate with regional data stewards to identify databases, tables and columns, data quality issues and gaps.
Provide dishware for corporate events.
Set buffets and handle inventory.

Prepare your ship steward resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your ship steward resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a ship steward resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Ship Steward Resume templates

Build a professional Ship Steward resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Ship Steward resume.

Apply for ship steward jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a ship steward job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do ship stewards rate their job?