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Job Description

Overview

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is seeking a Marine Electrician for the R/V Neil Armstrong from September 8, 2026, to December 10, 2026. The role involves assisting with the operation, maintenance, and repair of electrical systems aboard the vessel.

Responsibilities

  • Maintain and repair electrical power generating and distribution systems.
  • Perform routine checks of electrical equipment, including daily and monthly inspections.
  • Assist with repairs in port and advise scientific crew on electrical power usage.
  • Supervise the adaptation and connection of scientific equipment to shipboard power.
  • Perform physical labor and participate in emergency drills.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalent education.
  • Two years of sea duty as an Engineer or Electrician on a similar vessel.
  • U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner's credential endorsed as a QMED Electrician or 3rd Assistant engineer unlimited HP, Motor.
  • Good communication skills and familiarity with ship's electrical systems.
  • Must pass a Pre-employment DOT drug screen and hold an unexpired USCG med Certificate.

Benefits

Additional Information

  • Hourly Rate: $39.38, OT is $59.07.
  • Work at sea for three to five months continuously.
  • Working hours may exceed 12 hours per day, 7 days per week.
  • Live and work in cramped quarters and frequently in bad weather.
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How this job compares in Iselin, NJ

Pay in context

At roughly $39/hr, this posting sits about 13% above the $35/hr median for welding jobs across New Jersey — toward the top of a $30–$40/hr middle band drawn from 143 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 64% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Iselin, NJ

Iselin, NJ is a small market in our index: 2 other active welding openings alongside this one, from 1 employer. Across New Jersey as a whole we're tracking 216 other active welding openings from 131 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across New Jersey.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution currently has 2 other openings live in New Jersey, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in New Jersey at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Rhoads Industries (12), gpac (10), and Gpac (10). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within New Jersey, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Camden at $51/hr, Northvale at $40/hr, and Newark at $38/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Iselin, NJ

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Marine Electrician R/V Armstrong figures were last recalculated when this page was built.