HULL MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN (HT)
The U.S. Navy general surface and combat hull maintenance technician rating — HT.
OVERVIEW
Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) is the U.S. Navy's shipboard metal-fabrication and plumbing rating. HTs weld, braze, and fabricate steel and aluminum repairs for hull, piping, and tank work; install and maintain the ship's plumbing, sanitary, and freshwater systems; and operate the shipboard machine shop. Every U.S. Navy ship carries HTs assigned to Engineering Department's R-Division.
The general community covers the U.S. Navy's traditional shipboard ratings — deck, engineering, weapons, and combat-systems Sailors who keep surface combatants and amphibious ships in the fight. Sailors in this community typically rotate between sea and shore tours and are eligible for a wide range of NECs, instructor billets, and enlisted commissioning programs.
A-school for the rating runs ~9 weeks at Surface Warfare Engineering School Command, Great Lakes, IL, where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score VE+AR+MK+AS=200 and an enlistment obligation of 4–6 years. HTs advance through the standard enlisted paygrade structure (E-1 through E-9), competing in the Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) at E-4 through E-6 and via the Selection Board at E-7 through E-9. Senior HTs typically serve as Leading Petty Officer (LPO), Work Center Supervisor, Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), or Command Master Chief (CMC), and may pursue Limited Duty Officer (LDO), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or commissioning programs such as STA-21, MECP, or OCS.
Across the active force, HT Sailors are essential to the Navy's mission readiness, and the rating remains an in-demand career field with strong reenlistment bonuses (SRB), advancement opportunities, and pathways into Navy Reserve, civilian DoD, and industry careers after service.
WHAT HTs DO
HTs perform shipboard metal repair using SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, and brazing processes; fabricate piping and structural members; maintain plumbing, sewage (CHT), and potable water systems; and operate hull-cutting and plate-bending machinery. They are the shipboard subject-matter experts for hull integrity inspections and repair-locker pipe-patching kits.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- HTs perform shipboard metal repair using SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, and brazing processes; fabricate piping and structural members; maintain plumbing, sewage (CHT), and potable water systems; and operate hull-cutting and plate-bending machinery. They are the shipboard subject-matter experts for hull integrity inspections and repair-locker pipe-patching kits.
- Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior HTs as required by the chain of command.
- Lead the HT work center as Leading Petty Officer or Work Center Supervisor — managing maintenance documentation in 3M/MFOM, parts ordering, and personnel qualifications.
- Support general military training (GMT), damage control, force protection, and watch-bill assignments common to every Sailor regardless of rating.
THIS RATING ABSORBED
The HT rating's mission today includes work that flowed from the following decommissioned U.S. Navy ratings:
HISTORY
Hull Maintenance Technician was established in 1972 by merging the Shipfitter (SF) and Pipefitter (PF) ratings. The Damage Controlman (DC) rating absorbed the firefighting and CBR portions of the legacy SF rating; HT inherited the metalworking and plumbing roles.
Like all surface-Navy general ratings, the rating evolved alongside the U.S. Navy's transition from sail to steam, then steam to gas-turbine and electric-drive propulsion, and continues to adapt to today's distributed maritime operations and integrated combat systems.
Today the Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern HTs benefit from the Sailor 2025 personnel-system reforms, the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) training continuum, and credentialing through the Navy COOL program — turning rating qualifications into industry-recognized certifications and licenses.
The rating's structure, training pipeline, and operational employment continue to evolve alongside the Navy's transition to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), Project Overmatch, and the Force Design 2045 fleet architecture, ensuring HTs remain central to the warfighting mission.
TRAINING PIPELINE
- 1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeksNaval Station Great Lakes, ILInitial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors at the Navy's only boot camp.
- 2. Hull Maintenance Technician A-School~9 weeksSurface Warfare Engineering School Command, Great Lakes, ILInitial rating-skills training for accessions
- 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tourEvery commissioned U.S. Navy shipOn-the-job training and qualifications in the HT rating with a fleet unit.
TYPICAL CAREER PATH
- E-1/E-3Apprentice HTA-school in the general pipeline; first tour with a fleet unit.
- E-4/E-6Petty Officer HTLead a Hull Maintenance Technician work-center, qualify in core watchstations and platform-specific tasks.
- E-7+Chief Hull Maintenance TechnicianSenior enlisted leader of the rating in the command; instructor, detailer, or department leading chief assignments.
TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS
- Every commissioned U.S. Navy ship
- Shipboard repair lockers and machine shops
EXAMPLE NECs
- HT-4943 Hull Maintenance Technician Welder
- U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB VE+AR+MK+AS=200
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
- Every commissioned U.S. Navy ship
- Shipboard repair lockers and machine shops
RELATED RATINGS
RELATED BASES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SOURCES
- Navy Hull Maintenance Technician (navy.com)
- My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
- Navy COOL — Rating Detail