March 8, 2025
By Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO
As the Port of Galveston grows so do career opportunities in the maritime industry. This is great news for Galveston high school and college graduates who want to work in this exciting industry.
In 2023 cruise and cargo activities on Galveston Harbor generated more than 6,000 direct jobs with personal incomes totaling $382 million. These jobs include workers with railroad and trucking companies moving cargo to and from the port’s marine terminals and private terminals, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), non-ILA dockworkers, ship pilots, tugboat crews, steamship agents, freight forwarders, ship chandlers, ship repair workers, warehouse operators, bankers, lawyers, terminal operators, and stevedores.
The Galveston Wharves employs about 120 people in a range of careers, including administration, finance, human resources, procurement, security, law enforcement, maritime operations, engineering, and construction and maintenance.
In addition to the Galveston Wharves, major employers on the waterfront include Texas International Terminal, Gulf Copper Dry Dock and Rig Repair, Ports America, BMW, Metro Ports and more.
The ILA alone generated almost 650,000 work hours, equivalent to more than 300 full-time jobs, in 2024. Union workers enjoy good-paying wages for work in the port’s cruise and cargo businesses.
As our maritime industry grows, so does the demand for qualified workers. To meet this demand, Galveston educational institutions, maritime businesses, the Galveston Wharves, the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce and others are working together to attract and train high school and college students to work in this field.
The chamber has organized the Maritime Careers Pathways Committee so that representatives from all these entities can meet regularly to identify opportunities, share ideas and support common goals.
Galveston Independent School District, Odyssey Academy, O’Connell Preparatory and Galveston College have created the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics Career Cluster, which focuses on preparing students for careers in planning, management, and movement of people, materials and goods by road, pipeline, air, rail and water.
Through the program, students learn about a wide range of career opportunities, wages, educational requirements and pathways to career success. Depending on their interests, high school students can obtain certifications, as well as enroll in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and dual credit courses to prepare them for maritime-related careers.
Employers on the committee provide students opportunities to learn about the wide range of jobs available on the waterfront. The Galveston Wharves supports career development for Galveston students in several ways.
Port staff provide their expertise to school districts in Galveston County by meeting with educators and students to inform them about maritime careers. We also give students tours so they can see the wide range of activities on our waterfront.
The port offers roughly six paid summer internships annually to college students interested in pursuing careers in the maritime industry. Students gain experience in their study areas, including maritime operations, engineering, finance and construction.
Supporting career development is a win-win for the port because students gain hands-on experience, and the port identifies some great potential new hires. We see it as a valuable return on our investment in future maritime leaders.
