If you have ever tried to find a comprehensive list of U.S. maritime employers, you know the problem: there is not one. Company names live in union hiring hall postings, word-of-mouth on the dock, scattered job boards, and half-updated association directories. Maritime Registry exists to fix that.
The directory lists companies from deep-sea shipping lines and harbor towing outfits to offshore energy contractors, commercial fishing fleets, shipyards, ferry systems, dredging firms, pilot associations, and port authorities. Each listing includes the company name, location, and website.
Maritime Registry is not a recruiter and does not charge fees. It is a reference tool, free and open, for anyone trying to figure out who is operating where and which companies are worth applying to.
Most people do not realize how large the U.S. maritime industry actually is. Thousands of vessels move cargo along American coastlines, rivers, and across oceans every day. Offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico produce roughly 15% of U.S. crude oil. Ferries carry commuters from Staten Island to Bainbridge Island. Shipyards from Bath, Maine to San Diego build and repair everything from Navy destroyers to inland tank barges. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) requires cargo moving between U.S. ports to travel on American-built, American-flagged, and American-crewed vessels, which means the domestic industry employs a large workforce that is not going overseas.
The roles are just as varied as the vessels. Licensed deck officers and marine engineers run the ships. Unlicensed mariners crew them. Shoreside, there are operations managers, port engineers, naval architects, marine surveyors, and logistics coordinators. Then there are the specialists: commercial divers, ROV pilots, marine construction crews, dredge operators. Some of these careers start at a maritime academy. Others start on a deck through a union apprenticeship or a hawsepipe path that begins at ordinary seaman and works up.
For someone trying to break into the industry or switch sectors within it, the hardest part is often just knowing who is out there. A third mate graduating from Massachusetts Maritime has different options than a tankerman looking to move from inland towing to offshore. This directory is built to close that gap.
The directory covers every major sector of the U.S. maritime industry:
Jones Act carriers moving cargo coastwise between U.S. ports, container lines, tanker operators, and bulk carriers. These companies operate under various collective bargaining agreements and employ both licensed officers and unlicensed mariners.
This is where most of the jobs are. Harbor tugs dock ships in every major port. Line-haul towboats push barges of grain, petroleum, and chemicals on the Mississippi, Ohio, and other inland rivers. If you hold a towing endorsement, these are the companies you need to know.
Crew boats, platform supply vessels, anchor handlers, and construction support for oil, gas, and wind operations. The Gulf of Mexico remains the center of gravity, but offshore wind projects on the East Coast are opening up new berths.
Large yards building naval combatants and commercial vessels down to small repair facilities handling drydocking and conversions. Welders, pipefitters, electricians, marine engineers, and project managers all find work here.
Public transit ferries, private passenger operators, and excursion boats. Washington State Ferries alone is one of the largest ferry systems in the country. Smaller operators run in virtually every coastal and river community.
Port authorities, terminal operators, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and supply chain firms that keep waterborne commerce moving through the system.
Salvage, marine surveying, naval architecture, maritime training, environmental response, underwater construction, and bar and harbor pilotage. Often overlooked, but a significant source of employment.
The Maritime Registry directory lets you search by company name and use state checkboxes to find maritime employers in specific states such as Louisiana, Texas, California, Washington, or New York.
Cadets and new graduates trying to figure out where to send applications for their first berth or cadet shipping assignment. Search by company name or state to find companies that match your license.
Working mariners looking to switch sectors, move to a new region, or find companies running under a specific union contract.
People exploring maritime as a career who want to see what is actually out there before committing to an academy, a training program, or a union apprenticeship.
Shoreside professionals in operations, port engineering, logistics, or management who want a broad view of who is operating domestically.
There is no single place that lists every U.S. maritime employer. We are trying to build one. The directory currently has over 600 companies and we add more every week, from the largest deep-sea carriers down to two-boat towing outfits on the Tennessee River that do not show up anywhere else online.
If you know a company we are missing, email contact@maritimeregistry.com and we will get it added.
Maritime Registry is a free online directory of U.S. maritime companies. It covers every major sector of the American maritime industry, including shipping, towing, offshore energy, commercial fishing, shipbuilding, ferries, dredging, and marine services. The directory is designed to help mariners, students, and industry professionals find and research maritime employers.
Yes. Maritime Registry is completely free. There are no fees, subscriptions, or paywalls. The entire directory is open to anyone.
Maritime Registry is independently maintained and updated on a regular basis. We research and verify companies across every sector and region of the U.S. maritime industry.
Yes. The directory focuses exclusively on companies that operate in the United States, including Jones Act carriers, domestic towing companies, U.S.-flag shipping operators, American shipyards, and other maritime employers based in or operating within U.S. waters.
You can use the company directory to search by company name or state. You can also use the state checkboxes to narrow listings to specific states or regions.
There are several paths into the U.S. maritime industry. You can attend one of the six state maritime academies or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy to earn a Coast Guard license as a deck officer or marine engineer. You can also enter the industry through union apprenticeship programs such as those offered by the SIU, MEBA, MMP, or AMO. Some companies also hire entry-level deckhands and ordinary seamen directly. Browsing the directory by sector is a good way to see what types of companies are hiring in your area of interest.
Maritime Registry is primarily a company directory, not a job board. However, each listing includes the company's website where you can check for current openings. Our goal is to help you discover employers so you know where to apply.
The directory currently includes over 600 U.S. maritime companies and is growing regularly. We aim to be the most comprehensive listing of American maritime employers available online.
Absolutely. If you know a U.S. maritime company that is not in the directory, email us at contact@maritimeregistry.com with the company name and any details you have. We will research it and add it.