When a ship calls at a port, several tasks must be done. Boarding Officers are onsite operations personnel with knowledge of the workings of a particular port where ship owners may not have an office or staff. They help to coordinate anything a ship needs while it is in the port.

Boarding Officers work in ship agencies, which are the first point of contact for vessels arriving into port. It represents foreign principals in handling all matters relating to callings of their ships and cargo work in Singapore, such as declaration to various government agencies for port clearance, cargo documentation and invoicing.

Boarding Officers board vessels at anchorage or at berth so as to:

• Handle vessels' arrival/departure formalities
• Care for the vessel’s husbandry needs
• Work with principals (i.e. shipowners or operators) in matters related to ship callings (in Singapore)

Boarding Officers earn a monthly salary of about $2,400 to $3,500.

_{Source: Data from industry surveys conducted by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The data reflects the indicative monthly basic pay and excludes fixed bonuses, variable bonuses, overtime pay and allowances. Actual salaries may differ due to market conditions and company/organisation policies.}