Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) - Job description. What is this? Example of a marine electrical engineer job description

In the maritime industry, ETO stands for Electro-Technical Officer. This is a specialized crew member responsible for maintaining and managing all electrical, electronic, and automation systems on board a vessel. An ETO job description outlines the duties, skills, and qualifications required for this critical role.

Who Is an Electro-Technical Officer?

An Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) is a shipboard engineer who ensures that all electrical and electronic equipment operates safely and efficiently. Unlike traditional marine engineers who focus on mechanical systems, the ETO deals primarily with electrical power, control systems, and advanced technology.

Tips on how to get cadetship on board the ship as Marine Engineering Student (Engineers & Electricians)

Getting a cadetship on board the ship as a marine engineering student is a critical step toward becoming a licensed engineer officer. Here are some practical and effective tips to help you secure one:

1. Target the Right Companies

Focus your search on companies that offer structured cadetship programs:

• International shipping companies (e.g., Maersk, NYK, MOL, Wilhelmsen, Anglo-Eastern, Bernhard Schulte).
• Crewing agencies that manage cadet placements.
• Localregional shipping companies (especially if you’re in a maritime nation like the Philippines, India, Indonesia, etc.).

Tip: Visit the official websites of these companies and check their “Careers” or “Cadet Programs” section. You will find a list of such companies below in the article.

What is the salary of an ETO? Salary of electricians on different vessels in 2025

The salary of Electro-Technical Officers (ETOs) varies significantly based on vessel type, job specifics, and the specialist's qualification level. As of 2024, the average income of deep-sea sailors largely depended on the vessel type and position. For instance, salaries on tankers (oil) or in offshore operations were typically 1.5 to 2 times higher than those on bulk carriers transporting dry cargoes like grain or coal.

Salary Trends from 2010 to 2025:

According to MaritimeZone, over the six years from 2014 to 2020, the salaries of merchant fleet sailors remained relatively stable, while earnings in the offshore segment initially rose but then sharply declined alongside oil prices.

Minimum and Maximum Salaries:

On offshore vessels such as Pipelaying Vessels (PLVs), salaries ranged from $65 to $900 per day, depending on the position. Captains earned $900 daily, their chief mates $463, and second mates (including ETOs) $280 per day. Consequently, an ETO's daily wage could vary between $75 and $280, influenced by the vessel type and job specifics.

English tests for electrical engineers with the answers

A list of the most common questions for electrical engineers (ETO) that are asked in crewing companies or when passing qualification testing. These questions and answers will also help you prepare for the CES test at a basic level.

Basic Electrical Measuring Instruments

1. In the field of electricity, as well as in all other physical sciences, accurate quantitative measurements are essential. This involves two important items — numbers and units. Simple arithmetic is used in most cases, and the units are well defined and easily understood. The standard units are those of current, voltage and resistance.

2.  The operator commonly works with ammeters, voltmeters and electron-tube analyzers; but he may also have many occasions to use watt meters, watt-hour meters, power-factor meters, synchroscopes, frequency meters and capacitance-resistance-inductance bridges.

3. Electrical equipment is designed to operate at certain efficiency levels. A good understanding of the functional design and operation of electrical instruments is important. In electrical service work one or more of the following methods are commonly used to determine if the circuits of an equipment are operating properly.

a) Use an ammeter to measure the amount of current flowing in a circuit.
b) Use a voltmeter to determine the voltage existing between two points.
c) Use an ohmmeter or megger to measure circuit continuity and total or partial circuit resistance.

4. It may also be necessary to employ a wattmeter to determine the to tal power being consumed by certain equipment. If we wish to measure the energy consumed by certain equipment or certain circuits, a watt-hour or kilowatt-hour meter is used.

5. For measuring other quantities such as power factor and frequency it is necessary to employ the appropriate instruments. In each case the instrument indicates the value of the quantity measured, and in this information helps to understand the way the circuit is operating.

6. Occasionally the operator will need to determine the value of a capacitor or an inductor. Inductance or capacitance bridges may be employed for this purpose.

7. A thorough understanding of the construction, operation and limitati ons of the basic types of electrical measuring instruments, coupled with the theory of circuit operation is most essential in servicing and maintaining electrical equipment.

Duties of electricians on the vessels. Who is an electrician on a vessel?

An electrician on a vessel, often referred to as a marine electrician or ship electrician, is a specialized professional responsible for maintaining and repairing the electrical systems aboard a ship. 

These systems can range from the ship's power generation and distribution networks to the electronic navigation and communication systems. Marine electricians play a critical role in ensuring the safety and operational efficiency of the vessel.

Duties of Electrical Engineer (ETO) on vessels. Who is an electrical engineer (ETO) on a vessel?

1. The electrical engineer (ETO) is subordinated to the chief engineer and is in command of all the electrical group. ETO - Electro-technical Officer. Below, electrical engineer and Electro-technical Officer (ETO) are the same positions on the vessel.

2. The Electro-technical Officer is responsible for the safety engineering rules, service, maintenance and supervision of the following items of equipment, systems and devices:

a) electrical propulsion plant;

b) main and emergency sources of electrical power;

c) transformers and converters used in equipment, systems and devices;

d) distribution gear and monitoring desks or panels;

e) electric drives for steering gear, windlasses, mooring winches, towing winches, starting air compressors, fire pumps and fire-extinguishing system compressors, pumps, fans in machinery spa­ces, auxiliaries of the main engine, watertight doors;

f) main and emergency lighting of spaces and location of essential machinery and means of escape;

g) electric engine-room telegraphs;

h) service telephone communication;

i) alarm signalling;

j) fire detection signalling systems and warning systems indicating the release of fire smothering medium;

k) watertight door signalling;

l) cabling;

m) hull earthing facilities in tankers;

n) electric heaters of fuel and lubricating oil and other machinery and facilities not listed above.