At an ocean-freight agency, port authority, or maritime trade office, you administer programs related to ocean transportation — managing licensing, supporting trade-policy implementation, coordinating with industry stakeholders, and the public-sector operational work behind ocean trade.
Days mix program administration, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory coordination — supporting OTI license processing through the FMC, coordinating with ocean carriers and forwarders on regulatory matters, supporting trade-program implementation, engaging with international maritime stakeholders. Program throughput, stakeholder satisfaction, and regulatory-compliance posture shape the visible measures.
What gets demanding is the federal-regulatory complexity — ocean-trade regulation involves FMC, USCG, CBP, and IMO frameworks that interact in detailed ways, and administrators carry the responsibility for applying them consistently. Variance across employers is wide: FMC and federal maritime agencies run with formal regulatory authority; state and port authorities run with operational programs; industry associations and trade-policy organizations run with advocacy and education functions.
The role tends to fit folks who carry maritime industry knowledge, comfort with regulatory frameworks, and the diplomatic touch that public-sector trade work requires. FIATA, maritime credentials, and growing trade-policy experience anchor advancement. The trade-off is the slow-arc nature of trade-policy work and the modest pay typical of public-sector administration.
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At an ocean-freight agency, port authority, or maritime trade office, you administer programs related to ocean transportation — managing licensing, supporting trade-policy implementation, coordinating with industry stakeholders, and the public-sector operational work behind ocean trade.
Median pay for an Ocean Program Administrator is about $161K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $80K to $208K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Science, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, and Active Listening.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.7% through 2034, with roughly 100,870 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Program Director, Laboratory Operations Director (Lab Operations Director), and Research Administrator.
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