Pump the fuel they want
Ask the customer which fuel and how much, then set the dispenser and run the pump.
Career profile
Vehicle and Marina Service Attendant
Service attendants fuel vehicles and boats, take payment, and handle routine service tasks.
This job keeps switching between machines and people. One minute you're gripping the fuel hose, and the next you're answering a customer's question.
A day in the life
Check tires, fluids and wipers
In some vehicle-service jobs, you check tire pressure and fluid levels or swap worn wiper blades.
Pump out a boat's tank
At certain marinas, you help boaters arrive and depart and drain holding tanks with pump-out equipment.
Ring up the sale
Ring up payment at the cash register, plus docking fees at some marinas, then hand over a receipt.
Clean up for the next customer
Sweep, empty the trash, and restock supplies, and at marinas you may clean boater showers and public restrooms.
Quick facts
Learn on the job
United States · 2025
$17.15/hour
United States · 2025
3.8% growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Learn on the jobTypical entry involves short-term workplace training; no formal educational credential is typically needed.
Pay
$17.15/hourThe national median is $35,670 annually across vehicle and watercraft service attendants.
Outlook
3.8% growthAbout 12,900 openings per year are projected nationwide over 2025–35.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like hands-on routines with visible results.
- You can listen carefully while customers explain what they need.
- You stay consistent with routine checks.
Things to weigh
- Expect considerable standing and outdoor work, including uncomfortable weather.
- Cleanup and customer complaints come with the job, alongside the vehicle or boat work.
Where AI may help
Registers process purchases, and marina reservation systems help track customer bookings.
What people still lead
You still handle hoses, help boaters, and respond when customers need assistance.
What we can’t predict yet
How much check-in and payment becomes automated is uncertain; that could change how you divide time between customers and equipment.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use the national figures as a starting point when comparing an actual offer.
The national middle
The 2025 median was $17.15 an hour, or $35,670 annually. Half earned more and half less; this combines vehicle and watercraft attendants.
The national spread
In May 2025, the 10th-percentile wage was $13.76 an hour and the 90th-percentile wage was $22.14. These are wage percentiles, not starting and experienced pay rates.
Openings across the country
Employment is projected to grow 3.8% during 2025–35, with about 12,900 openings annually. Openings include replacement needs, not just new positions.
Getting started
Start at a fuel station
- What the route involves
- Join as a fuel attendant and learn pumps, payment, and safety routines with the store team.
- What it can lead to
- You build customer-service and cash-handling experience that can support broader store responsibilities.
- What to check
- School completion and cash-handling experience may be preferred rather than required; check the individual listing.
Join a marina's entry staff
- What the route involves
- Look for entry or seasonal dock work with manager-guided training in boat service and marina safety.
- What it can lead to
- You build experience with dock operations, boaters, and the marina's service equipment.
Workplace training is the usual starting point. Individual employers set their own hiring requirements.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Make fueling and payment routines dependable, and learn who to call when equipment or customer problems arise.
Broaden your skills
At a marina, build capability in boat handling, mooring arrangements, and facility maintenance through workplace training.
Work toward supervision
In retail fuel operations, learn wider store operations and build leadership experience to pursue a supervisor role overseeing service, stock, and staff routines.
Where you can work
Roadside fuel courts
Your work area surrounds the dispensers. You serve arriving drivers and coordinate with a store team while keeping the outdoor area ready.
- Outdoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Marinas
You move between the dock and customer-service areas. Boat arrivals, pump-outs, reservations, and facility cleanup can share the same shift.
- Outdoors
- Indoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
On a normal visit to an attended fuel station, watch one service interaction. Note when the attendant switches attention between the customer, pump, and payment. Would you enjoy staying accurate through those switches?
Stay safe: Stay in the customer area and out of vehicle paths; do not handle equipment for this exercise.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Tables. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Wawa. Fuel Associate Job Description. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Wawa. Store Associate and Leadership. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- City of Dubuque. Marina Dock Attendant — 2024 job description. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Association of Marina Industries. Basic Marina Operations Training Guide. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimates. Accessed 2026-09-29.