QMED Jobs in the U.S. Maritime Industry
9 open qmed positions, updated November 3, 2026
Open QMED Positions
QMED Oiler R/V Atlantis
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
QMED
Hornblower Group
QMED (Vessel)
Edison Chouest Offshore
Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED)
www.hornbeckoffshore.com
QMED Oiler R/V Neil Armstrong
Whoi
QMED Oiler R/V Neil Armstrong
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
QMED
Helix Energy
QMED Oiler (QMED License Required)
Transocean
Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED)
Workathos
About QMED Jobs
QMED is not one job, it is a family of them. The endorsement covers the qualified unlicensed ratings in the engine department, and which one you hold determines what you actually do: oilers on watch and rounds, junior engineers taking on real maintenance under the assistants, electricians on switchboards and motor controllers, refrigerating engineers on the plant and reefer boxes, pumpmen on tanker cargo systems.
What the ratings share is that somebody tested you. Getting a QMED means documented engine room service plus an NMC exam or an approved course, which is why the pay and the hiring preference sit well above entry level.
Billets turn up on deep-sea cargo ships and tankers, MSC and government-operated fleets, research and survey vessels, large OSVs on the Gulf Coast, ferries and passenger vessels, and shipyard-adjacent relief work. Deep-sea jobs frequently ship out of engine department union halls; offshore and government contracts hire direct.
Schedules follow the sector. Union deep-sea voyages can run three or four months with a base wage plus heavy overtime. Offshore and government work tends toward even-time rotations on a flat day rate.
For anyone aiming at a license, this is the rating to hold while you build the time. The engineer shortage is real, and it starts here.
Where QMEDs Are Hiring
Companies Hiring QMEDs
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does QMED stand for?
- Qualified Member of the Engine Department. It is an umbrella endorsement covering several ratings, including oiler, fireman/watertender, junior engineer, refrigerating engineer, machinist, pumpman and electrician.
- How do I get a QMED endorsement?
- Document the required engine room service, then either pass the NMC exam for the rating or complete an approved training course. Requirements differ by rating, so check the current NMC checklist for the one you want.
- Is QMED higher paid than wiper?
- Yes, meaningfully. It is the first engine department rating that requires demonstrated competence, and companies price it accordingly.
- Can a QMED become a licensed engineer?
- Yes. QMED sea time counts toward a Designated Duty Engineer or third assistant engineer license. It is the standard hawsepipe route into the engine licenses.