Navy Quartermaster (QM): Definitive Guide

Quartermasters are the people who steer Navy ships and help with navigation. If you want a job that combines old sea traditions with modern technology, this is a good choice. You will help guide expensive warships through busy ports, open oceans, and dangerous areas.

Everyone on the ship trusts you to be precise and careful. It is not about whether you can handle this important job, but if you are ready to take control of the ship and your career.

Job Role and Responsibilities

Quartermasters (QM) are Navy enlisted Sailors who stand watch as assistants to the Officer of the Deck and Navigator, serve as helmsmen, perform ship control and navigation duties, maintain navigational instruments and charts, render honors and ceremonies, and supervise small craft operations.

Daily Tasks

Your day as a Quartermaster is mostly spent on the ship’s bridge, which is the main control room for everything happening on the ship. While watching the bridge, you steer the ship, watch radar screens, and use electronic tools to help figure out where the ship is on maps. You plan the route, guess when the ship will arrive, and keep an eye on the weather to make sure the ship is safe.

When you are not on watch, you update the ship’s maps and navigation books so they have the newest information. You also check that all the electronic tools used for navigation are working correctly. Sometimes, you stand lookout, spotting important things like navigation markers, and you communicate with other ships using signals and radios.

Specific Roles

The Quartermaster rating uses the Navy’s standard rating structure with no additional NEC codes required for basic qualification.

Mission Contribution

Quartermasters help the Navy by making sure ships know where they are going. Without good navigation, ships cannot get to their destinations, do their jobs, or come back safely. Your work helps the Navy during fights, disaster help, patrols to discourage enemies, and training activities. When the country needs help, you make sure the Navy ships arrive on time and in the right place.

Technology and Equipment

You will learn to use advanced navigation tools like the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), GPS, gyrocompasses, and inertial navigation systems. These tools help with knowing the ship’s exact location and direction. Y

ou will also use radar to avoid crashes, sextants to navigate by the stars, and communication tools like signal flags, flashing lights, and tactical data links. The Navy keeps improving these technologies, so you will work with the latest navigation equipment during your career.

Work Environment

Setting and Schedule

Quartermasters usually work inside on the ship’s bridge and chartroom. These areas have controlled temperatures and contain electronic screens, communication tools, and navigation maps.

• Shifts include four hours on watch followed by eight hours of rest.
• Work occurs both day and night in a rotating pattern.
• When the ship is moving, expect long days of watching, fixing equipment, and training.
• When the ship is docked, time is spent taking care of equipment, updating maps, and improving skills.

Leadership and Communication

You will report to the Navigator and the Officer of the Deck while on watch. The chain of command is as follows:

1. You
2. Senior Quartermaster on watch
3. Navigator (usually an officer)
4. Ship’s Commanding Officer

Communication involves:

• Receiving orders
• Providing position reports
• Coordinating with other watchstanders
• Writing detailed logs

Performance is reviewed regularly through evaluations, qualification boards, and guidance from senior Quartermasters.

Team Dynamics and Autonomy

You will be part of a bridge team including Boatswain’s Mates, Operations Specialists, and Lookouts. However, navigation tasks often require independent decision-making.

• You decide when to change the ship’s course, check positions, and repair equipment quickly.
• Senior Quartermasters manage navigation programs independently and train junior Sailors.
• Close supervision is provided at the start, with increasing trust and autonomy as experience grows.

Job Satisfaction and Retention

Quartermasters generally experience high job satisfaction because they can see the important results of their work and earn respect.

• Many Quartermasters choose to stay in the role due to their enjoyment of the work.
• Success is demonstrated by passing qualification tests, effective watchkeeping, and promotion in rank.
• Good Sailors are reliable under pressure, know navigation systems well, and display leadership abilities.

Fun Fact: Quartermaster is one of the oldest enlisted jobs in the U.S. Navy, dating back to the Revolutionary War. When you become a QM, you join a lineage of navigators who have guided American ships for nearly 250 years.

Training and Skill Development

Initial Training

Your journey begins at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, where you’ll complete eight weeks of basic training. From there, you’ll attend Quartermaster Class “A” Technical School, also at Great Lakes.

During Class “A” School, you will learn how to use electronic tools to help with navigation. You will also learn how to calculate tides and currents, keep navigation logs, and find the ship’s position using both sight and electronic devices.

In addition, you will practice calculating data from the stars and learn rules to avoid accidents at sea. You will also train in watchstanding duties on the bridge and how to use signals to communicate visually.

Advanced Training

As you continue your career, you can take special training courses. These advanced courses teach skills such as:

• Navigating using the stars
• Guiding ships near the coast
• Fixing electronic navigation systems

You will also receive leadership training to help you manage teams. The Navy offers additional classes in:

• Weather
• Small boat handling
• Teaching navigation

Some Quartermasters (QMs) may get jobs where they work independently, which require extra training.

The Navy helps you grow professionally by:

• Paying for college classes
• Offering certifications in maritime jobs
• Providing chances to earn licenses like the Merchant Mariner Credential

Many QMs study for degrees in subjects such as maritime studies, logistics, or leadership. These courses support both your Navy career and jobs after your service.

Service Expectations

In a 20-year career, Quartermasters usually spend about:

• 60% of their time working on ships at sea
• 40% at shore locations, including training centers, staff offices, or teaching positions

Some QMs work full-time with the Naval Reserve Force, where they help with ship operations and train reservists.

Physical Demands and Medical Evaluations

Physical Requirements

Quartermasters need to be in good health and meet the Navy’s fitness rules. The job is not as hard on the body as some other jobs, but you will have to stand for a long time during watches and climb ladders to get to the bridge wings. You will also work outside in different weather when doing things like signaling or looking out.

You must have good eyesight that can be fixed to 20/20 and be able to see colors normally. This is important to correctly see navigation lights, read charts, and use electronic screens.

The Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT) requires the following minimum scores for the 17-19 age bracket:

Source: OPNAVINST 6110.1 (current Navy physical fitness instruction)

Scores vary by age group. You’ll take the PRT twice yearly, and maintaining fitness ensures you’re ready for the demands of sea duty.

Medical Evaluations

After you join, you will have regular health check-ups to make sure you stay healthy. These check-ups include:

• Looking at your teeth
• Testing how well you can see
• Checking your overall physical health

If you work on a ship, you will need to pass a swimming test and stay ready to be deployed.

The Navy takes care of your medical needs through:

• Special military hospitals
• A health insurance program called TRICARE

This means you can get the medical help you need while you serve.

Deployment and Duty Stations

Deployment Details

As a Quartermaster, you will go on deployments often during your job. When you are assigned to a ship, you will usually stay there for 36 to 48 months. During that time, your ship will travel to different places for 6 to 9 months at a time, such as the Western Pacific, Middle East, or Mediterranean.

You will spend a lot of time at sea doing training, working on your own, and visiting ports in different countries. Even when not officially deployed, ships often spend many days moving at sea because of the Navy’s busy schedule.

Location Flexibility

Where you work, called duty stations, depends on:

• What the Navy needs
• Your skills
• Where you say you prefer to go

Some big homeports for surface ships include:

• Norfolk, Virginia
• San Diego, California
• Mayport, Florida
• Everett, Washington
• Yokosuka, Japan

You might also work at Navy bases near the coast or in other places used for training. You can tell the Navy your choices, but they will send you where you are needed most.

Career Progression and Advancement

Career Path

Rank Structure

Role Flexibility and Transfers

If you find out that being a Quartermaster is not the right job for you, the Navy lets you switch to other jobs called ratings. Some Quartermasters change to roles like Operations Specialist or Boatswain’s Mate because they use similar skills.

To switch, you need to:

• Meet the new job’s training and skill requirements
• Have open spots available
• Get approval from your command

It is easier to plan these changes early in your career.

Performance Evaluation

The Navy checks how well you do your job using something called the Evaluation and Fitness Report (E-FR). Every 12 to 18 months, you receive a written review that talks about:

• Your work performance
• Leadership skills
• Future potential

These reports are important because promotion boards look at them during promotion decisions. They focus on your skills, qualifications, leadership, and how you help your team.

How to Succeed

To do well as a Quartermaster, start by learning the basics and becoming a navigator that others trust.

Next steps include:

• Getting qualified to stand watch on the bridge quickly
• Earning advanced certificates like Master Helmsman or Navigation Evaluator

Find chances to lead even if you are new by helping others and showing responsibility. Keep studying for promotion tests, stay fit, look professional, and maintain a positive attitude. Most importantly, be dependable because your watch keeps the ship safe.

Salary and Benefits

Financial Benefits

Source: DFAS Military Pay Tables

Your total compensation includes more than just your base pay. BAH gives you tax-free money to help pay for housing if you live off base. The amount changes a lot depending on where you live, from about $1,200 each month in small towns to over $3,000 in expensive cities. BAS helps cover the cost of food. Sea pay adds extra money the longer you spend time working on ships. You might also get bonuses when you join, rejoin, or have special skills.

Additional Benefits

• Healthcare: If you are active duty, you get full medical and dental care for free at military clinics and hospitals. Your family members can get TRICARE insurance, which costs very little. This helps make sure you and your family can see the doctor without big bills.

• Housing: You can live on base if housing is available where you are stationed. If you live off base, you will get BAH money to help pay for your rent or mortgage. When you are deployed, the Navy also gives housing money to help care for your dependents.

• Education: Tuition Assistance will pay up to $250 for every college credit hour you take during your free time. The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays for all tuition at public colleges and gives extra money for a place to live after you finish your service. The Navy College Program helps you earn degrees while you are still serving.

• Retirement: The Blended Retirement System is a mix of savings and pension plans. It has a 401(k)-type plan called the Thrift Savings Plan where the government adds money up to 5% of your pay. After 20 years of service, you will get a pension based on 2% for each year you served, calculated using your highest 36 months of base pay.

• Life Insurance: Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) gives you up to $500,000 in life insurance coverage, and it costs about $31 each month. This helps protect your family if something happens to you.

Work-Life Balance

The Navy gives you 30 days of paid time off each year, plus holidays from the federal government when it is possible based on missions. You also earn more leave during deployments, which many Sailors save to take vacations after their deployment ends.

Being on a ship means spending a lot of time away from home, but when you are stationed on land, your schedule is usually more regular.

The Navy helps you balance work and personal life by offering:

• Fitness programs to stay healthy
• Services to support your family
• Places to relax and have fun on the base

For example, you might join a sports team or use the gym. These activities and support make it easier to manage your time between work and home.

Risk, Safety, and Legal Considerations

Job Hazards

Quartermasters mainly face risks related to their work tasks, not physical dangers. The biggest danger comes from mistakes in navigation, like the ship hitting land or another ship, which can hurt crew members and damage equipment.

You will work near electronic devices that give off electromagnetic fields, stand watch for long times (which can make you tired), and sometimes work outside on the bridge in bad weather.

During emergencies or combat, you will stay on the bridge, where it can be risky.

Safety Protocols

The Navy makes sure you stay safe by giving you lots of training, rules to follow, and safety gear. You will learn how to navigate safely, avoid crashes, and what to do in an emergency. The bridge team works together to double-check important decisions.

Personal protective equipment includes:

• Life jackets when near water
• Ear protection around loud machines

Regular drills help you practice what to do if something goes wrong.

Security and Legal Requirements

Quartermasters need a Secret security clearance, which means a background check looks at:

• Your criminal record
• Money habits
• Contacts in other countries
• Personal behavior

You must be a U.S. citizen and act honestly and responsibly. Drug use, serious crimes, or strong foreign connections can stop you from getting this clearance.

After you are cleared, you must keep secret any classified information about navigation and military operations. Breaking security rules can lead to serious legal trouble under military law.

When you join, you usually promise to serve for four years, but some training programs might require longer service. You will sign a contract agreeing to this. If you do not complete your service, it can cause legal and financial problems.

Impact on Family and Personal Life

Family Considerations

Being on sea duty affects family life a lot. You will be away from home for many months during trips on the ship, missing special events like birthdays and holidays.

While you are at sea, you can:

• Send emails
• Make phone calls sometimes
• Do video chats if the internet is good enough

The Navy provides a lot of help for families through Fleet and Family Support Centers. These centers offer:

• Counseling
• Help with deployment
• Emergency support

There are also programs to help spouses find jobs near Navy bases. Even though it is hard, many Navy families do well because of the support and benefits the Navy offers.

Relocation and Flexibility

You will probably move every 2 to 4 years when your job location changes. The Navy covers moving costs, including:

• Shipping your household goods
• Providing travel money

Moving often can make family life harder, but it also allows you to live in new places in the country or around the world.

The Navy tries to consider family needs when deciding where to send you, but the needs of the mission come first.

Post-Service Opportunities

Transition to Civilian Life

Quartermasters learn many useful skills like finding directions, leading people, and managing tasks. These skills can help you do many different jobs outside the Navy. The Navy also offers the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which helps you write resumes, practice interviews, and meet employers who want to hire veterans.

Having a security clearance means you can work in government or defense jobs more easily. Veterans get special preference when applying for federal government jobs, which can help you get hired. The GI Bill can pay for your education if you want to study something new or change careers.

Civilian Career Prospects

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Many Quartermasters try to get U.S. Coast Guard licenses to work as deck officers or pilots on ships. They use what they learned in the Navy to do these jobs. Some also work in the Merchant Marine, which means they help guide ships for shipping companies.

The skills Quartermasters have in managing operations help them work in areas like moving goods, supply chains, and transportation. These are jobs where organizing and planning are very important. Government groups like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Army Corps of Engineers also need people who know how to navigate well.

Qualifications and Eligibility

Basic Qualifications

To enlist as a Quartermaster, you must meet the following requirements:

Source: Navy Personnel Command and Navy Recruiting Command

ASVAB Score

The Navy requires specific Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) scores for Quartermaster qualification:

VE (Verbal Expression) combines Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension. AR (Arithmetic Reasoning) tests mathematical problem-solving. Higher scores increase your chances of securing a Quartermaster contract and may qualify you for enlistment bonuses.

Skills You Need

Success as a Quartermaster requires specific aptitudes and traits:

• Mathematical ability: Comfortable with algebra, geometry, and trigonometry for navigation calculations
• Technical aptitude: Ability to learn and operate complex electronic systems
• Attention to detail: Precision in plotting positions, keeping logs, and maintaining equipment
• Communication skills: Clear verbal and written communication for watch turnover and log entries
• Situational awareness: Ability to monitor multiple information sources simultaneously
• Composure under pressure: Steady decision-making during stressful situations
• Physical stamina: Ability to stand watches for extended periods and work in various conditions

Selection Criteria and Competitiveness

Becoming a Quartermaster in the Navy can be somewhat competitive, which means you have to meet certain requirements to get in. Whether you start training right away or wait for a spot depends on how many people the Navy needs at the time.

Doing well on the ASVAB test, especially in math and verbal areas, helps you get in faster. Having experience in maritime jobs, participating in JROTC, or taking college classes can make your application stronger, but these are not necessary.

The Navy uses a system called “striper” or advancement. This means:

• You usually start at the lowest rank called E-1 (Seaman Recruit).
• If you have college credits, JROTC experience, or other special qualifications, you might start at a higher rank like E-2 or E-3 before boot camp.

Upon Accession into Service

When you join the Navy as a Quartermaster, you agree to serve for a certain time, usually four years of active duty.

You will start as a Seaman Recruit (E-1) unless you qualify for a higher rank.

After finishing boot camp and your training at Class “A” School, you can move up to Quartermaster Third Class (E-4) once you show you know your job well, usually within two years.

The Navy sometimes offers bonus money to attract Quartermasters if they need more people in that job. These bonuses:

• Range from a few thousand dollars to more than ten thousand dollars.
• Are paid after completing your training and arriving at your first duty station.

Always ask your recruiter if there are bonuses available when you apply.

Is This a Good Job for You? The Right (and Wrong) Fit

Ideal Candidate Profile

You might excel as a Quartermaster if you:

• Enjoy working with maps, charts, and spatial information
• Have strong attention to detail and take pride in accuracy
• Remain calm and focused under pressure
• Like working with technology and learning new systems
• Prefer structured environments with clear procedures
• Want to see the world while serving your country
• Value tradition and maritime heritage
• Can handle extended periods away from home

Potential Challenges

This rating might not suit you if you:

• Struggle with math or spatial reasoning
• Prefer highly physical, outdoor work over technical indoor tasks
• Need frequent change and variety rather than structured routine
• Have difficulty staying alert during long periods of monitoring
• Cannot adapt to rotating sleep schedules and shift work
• Are prone to motion sickness (though most adapt to ship movement)
• Require consistent daily schedules rather than watch rotation

Career and Lifestyle Alignment

Quartermaster is a job that combines technical skills, chances to be a leader, and a long history in the Navy. If you want a career where being careful and accurate is very important, where you learn skills that people around the world respect, and where your work helps the mission succeed, this job is a good fit.

The skills you learn can help you get well-paying jobs on ships outside the Navy, or you can work in the Navy for 20 years and retire with benefits when you are in your late 30s.

But you should also think about the lifestyle. Being at sea means:

• Spending many months away from your family and friends
• Working tough schedules
• Knowing that mistakes can cause serious problems

If you are ready for these challenges, being a Quartermaster is one of the most respected and satisfying jobs in the Navy.

More Information

Ready to chart your course as a Navy Quartermaster? Contact your local Navy Enlisted Recruiter to discuss your eligibility, ask questions, and begin the enlistment process. Recruiters have access to the most current information about rating availability, training schedules, and enlistment incentives.

Explore these related Navy enlisted careers in surface operations:

• Operations Specialist (OS)—Manage radar and combat information systems
• Boatswain’s Mate (BM)—Handle deck operations and small boat handling

Your journey to becoming a Quartermaster starts with a single step. Take it today.