Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Handling and Moving Objects Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Controlling Machines and Processes Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organisation Communicating with people outside the organisation, representing the organisation to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

The Work

How do you find a ship to carry the cargo you have just sold to buyer or how do you buy a vessel if you want to be a shipowner? The answer is to talk to your shipbroker.

The role of a shipbroker is to act as an intermediary between the two parties to a contract, whether they are Shipowners and Charterers in the chartering market, or buyers and sellers in the Sale and Purchase market.

The broker may be acting particularly for one principal or perhaps is the sole broker between the two contracting parties. He or she will be involved in many stages of the deal: presenting the business to potential clients, negotiating the main terms of the fixture or sale, finalising the details of the contract and following the deal through to its conclusion.

The sise and type of vessel involved ranges from coasters carrying a few hundred tons to tankers able to lift several hundred thousand tons, and includes containerships, gas carriers, cruise ships, oil-rigs or ferries. Cargoes carried range from raw bulk commodities such as coal, iron ore and crude oil through to finished products carried in containers.

Different Types of Ship Brokers

Today the career of Shipbroking covers the following sectors of the industry:

• dry cargo chartering,
• tanker chartering,
• sale and purchase of ships,
• liner agency,
• port agency and
• ship management.

Locations

The work in chartering and sale and purchase is not restricted to just port or coastal areas. There are significant markets in such places as Oslo, London, Hamburg, Paris, New York, Houston Vancouver, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Dubai New Delhi.

You can appreciate that the broker will establish himself where the principals are based, either ship owners or charterers. The introduction of cheap efficient communications has caused the market centres to be more widespread geographically.

Types of employers

Broking houses, either competitive or in house, within the ship owning companies, or charterers (e.g. oil companies, grain houses, commodity traders...)

Labour profile

A Ship Broker can come from any walk of life, straight out of school or university or an ex-seafarers. Experience at sea is not a necessity.

Employment Prospects

Traditional ship broking centers such as London are now competing with emerging centres as technology allows us to move away from the traditional market locations. New areas such as South Africa, India and China are seeing more brokers being set up to service the increasing business quoted by local principals.

Source [http://www.maritimecareers.ie]

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies.
• Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents.
• Track delivery progress of shipments.
• Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.
• Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights.
• Keep records of all goods shipped, received, and stored.
• Notify consignees, passengers, or customers of freight or baggage arrival and arrange for delivery.
• Retrieve stored items and trace lost shipments as necessary.
• Enter shipping information into a computer by hand or by a hand-held scanner that reads bar codes on goods.
• Prepare manifests showing numbers of airplane passengers and baggage, mail, and freight weights, transmitting data to destinations.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.

Many entrants to this career are honours graduates. Degrees in business studies, accountancy, economics, transport management and foreign languages are particularly useful. Relevant courses are held in educational institutions throughout Ireland.  Some learners will develop their skills via working in shipping, aboard ships in the Transport & logistics sector. 

Training & Development pathways 

FET Centre Traineeship: Business Admin, Customer service, Management in centres around Ireland NFQ Level 5-6 Search our FET Coursefinder

FET PLC Courses: Business Management, Sales, Marketing, Transport & Logistics, Commerce, and Accounting at NFQ Levels 5-6 Search our FET PLC Coursefinder

Apprenticeship: Accounting, Finance, Sales, Insurance, Logistics Apprenticeships at NFQ levels 6-8 Search Apprenticeships

Higher Education CAO Entry: Business, Commerce, Economics, Accounts & Finance, Transport & logistics, Languages courses at NFQ Levels 6-8 Search our CAO coursefinder

Professional Development 

Postgraduate Study Options Sales, Business, Accounts, Management, Logistics, Financial advice courses at NFQ level 9

On entering the ship broking industry, a Broker can study for the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers qualifications either through an adult education centre including some universities on a part time basis or through the Institute's own correspondence college TutorShip a good option for seafarers and students not able to attend lectures. Experience at sea can help, economics, commerce, business degrees are useful ShipBroking Qualifications Ireland.  

Institute of Charter Shipbrokers of Ireland provide a series of educational courses & qualifications in Ship Broking. 

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €32k - €75k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role.

Data Source(s):
Payscale/ Morgan McKinley / Brightwater/ Storm/ Indeed/ Clark

Last Updated: March, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Numbers in the LFS are too small to allow for any detailed analysis. New employment permits issued in 2022 related mainly to transport and distribution clerks along with various logistics and customs roles.

The Recruitment Agency Survey identified issues in sourcing freight forwarders. There was a relatively high share of jobseekers registered with DSP in December 2022 who had previously been employed as stores/despatch clerks and storekeepers.

• IMDO – Irish Maritime Development Office

  • Wilton Park House, Wilton Place D02 NT99, Dublin 2, Ireland
  • (01) 7753900
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• National Maritime College of Ireland

  • Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork
  • (021) 433 5600
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Baltic Air Charter Association

  • The Baltic Exchange, 38 St Mary's Axe, London EC3R 8BH, UK
  • + 44 20 7118 7557
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Ireland

  • DIT, 2 Aungier St, Dublin
  • Click Here