

Diverse employees at West Marine have rated Team, Executive Team, and Leadership as the highest categories they have scored
Women at West Marine have rated CEO Rating, Work Culture, and Team as the highest categories they have scored
West Marine employees are -20% more likely to recommend West Marine as a great place to work
| 32% | Promoters |
|---|---|
| 16% | Passives |
| 52% | Detractors |
Working at West Marine is rated below average by 200 employees, across various culture dimensions. West Marine employees rate Environment highest among all categories, and think that Compensation and Perks And Benefits have the most room for improvement, putting West Marine’s culture in the Bottom 20% compared to similar sized companies on Comparably and in the Top 25% compared to other companies in Salinas, CA. See below in detail how working at West Marine was rated by employees.
Overall Company Culture at West Marine is rated D
Last updated a month ago
West Marine ranks in the Bottom 20% of other companies on Comparably with 1,001-5,000 Employees for Overall Company Culture Score
Out of 159 West Marine employee reviews, 72% were positive. The remaining 28% were constructive reviews with the goal of helping West Marine improve their work culture.
| Positive Reviews | 72% |
|---|---|
| Constructive Feedback | 28% |
What makes you most happy at work?The hot yacht cougars,easy pickins
What did you like most about the interview process?it was short, very brief
What is most positive about the culture and environment at your company?The people i work with and my manager
What does the leadership team need to get better at?They need to improve their communication, working as a team as well as not condescending or belittling employees in front of others.
What needs to change to make the company culture better?Hire better district-level managers that have leadership capabilities
What do your coworkers need to improve and how could you work together better?Learn and retain more of the company-provided training
At West Marine, our goal is to make your boating more fun. Along with offering a huge selection of boating gear and services.
Our Mission is to be the best outfitter of boating-related product and gear for recreation on the water that provide outstanding value to every Customer. We are committed to providing the best possible Customer experience, so that each and every Customer regards us as an outstanding company and rewards us with their business. We provide an open, supportive, challenging, team-oriented environment where our Associates can achieve job satisfaction, professional and personal growth. We achieve financial returns for the benefit of our Associates, Customers and Shareholders. We work to conserve marine resources, reduce our impact on the environment, and promote boating.
We strongly support West Marine’s vision for the future, strategic initiatives, and culture. We are excited to invest in and work together with the company's management team to continue to lead the industry.”
| Headquarter | Watsonville, CA 95077 United States of America |
|---|---|
| Website | www.westmarine.com/ |
| Founding Date | 1968 |
| Tel | (831) 728-2700 |
| Company Status | Public |
| Stock | WMAR |
West Marine competitors include MarineMax, Bass Pro Shops, Moosejaw Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel, and Hibbett Sports. West Marine ranks 5th in Overall Culture Score on Comparably vs its competitors. See below how West Marine compares to its competitors with CEO Rankings, Product & Services, NPS, Pricing, Customer Services, Overall Culture Score, eNPS, Gender and Diversity Scores.

200 employees at West Marine have reviewed West Marine across various culture dimensions, providing their opinions on items ranging from executive ratings to the pace at work. The latest review was a month ago.
Overall, the 200 West Marine employees give their leadership a grade of C-, or Bottom 30% of similar size companies on Comparably. This includes specific ratings of their executive team, CEO, and manager.
Employees at West Marine are mostly dissatisfied with their total compensation at West Marine, which includes a combination of pay, stock and equity, and benefits.
Overall, employees at West Marine are not very pleased with their team. 200 Participants grade the quality of their coworkers a D. Less than half believe the meetings at West Marine are effective, and the majority look forward to interacting with their coworkers.
The majority of employees at West Marine believe the environment at West Marine is positive. Most Participants believe the pace of work at West Marine is comfortably fast. About 74% of the employees at West Marine work 8 hours or less, while 10% of them have an extremely long day - longer than twelve hours.
Overall, the employees at West Marine are dissatisfied, based on their aggregated ratings of future outlook, customer perception, and their excitement going to work.


The prevailing opinion from employees about joining West Marine is that the company was somewhat prepared on their first day. West Marine employees concluded that their overall onboarding experience was positive. 100% said their direct manager was helpful with their acclimation during the first 90 days. First impressions are important, and how prepared a company is on your first day leaves a lasting impression.
Employees’ understanding of West Marine's KPIs and OKRs is essential for its success. Out of 6 West Marine employees who’ve answered, “Are your company’s goals clear and are you invested in them?” 3 have said yes.
West Marine’s CEO Ken Seipel started in this role in 2018. Ken’s approval rate is lower compared to CEOs at similar sized companies, putting Ken in the Bottom 30% of all CEOs of similar-sized companies on Comparably, and in the Top 15% compared to CEOs of all other companies in Salinas, CA. Ken Seipel’s employees rank West Marine in the Bottom 40% for Environment, in the Bottom 35% for Professional Development, and in the Bottom 30% for Executive Team. Seipel is generally unpopular with West Marine employees, but ranks especially low with employees with Over 10 Years experience, and by employees in the Sales department and employees identified with Other ethnicities. However, African American/Black employees have a slightly more favorable view of the CEO. When compared to West Marine’s competitors, Ken Seipel ranks below both Bass Pro Shops CEO John Morris and Hibbett Sports CEO Mike Longo.
The West Marine Executive Team is rated a “C-” and led by CEO Ken Seipel, Senior Director, Direct Sales Operations Michael Potter, and Director of Customer Satisfaction Chris Oates
Ken Seipel CEO / President
Ken Seipel serves as the CEO / President of West Marine.
Michael Potter Senior Director, Direct Sales Operations
Michael Potter serves as the Senior Director, Direct Sales Operations for West Marine. Michael started at West Marine in... read more
Chris Oates Director of Customer Satisfaction
Chris Oates serves as the Director of Customer Satisfaction for West Marine. Chris started at West Marine in June of... read more
Pat Murphy SVP Logistics & Transportation
Pat Murphy serves as the SVP Logistics & Transportation for West Marine Products, Inc. Pat started at West Marine... read more
Pam Fields SVP & General Counsel
Pam Fields serves as the SVP & General Counsel for West Marine, Inc.. Pam started at West Marine, Inc. in March of 1997.... read more
Patrick Murphy SVP Logistics & Transportation
Patrick Murphy serves as the SVP Logistics & Transportation for West Marine Products, Inc. Patrick started at West... read more
Bob Buckborough VP eCommerce
Bob Buckborough serves as the VP eCommerce for West Marine. Bob started at West Marine in January of 2012. Bob is based... read more
Chuck Hawley VP Product Information
Chuck Hawley serves as the VP Product Information for West Marine. Chuck started at West Marine in January of 1982.... read more
Joseph Pulford Chief Financial Officer
Joseph Pulford serves as the Chief Financial Officer for West Marine. Joseph started at West Marine in March of 2018.... read more
How much do people at West Marine get paid? See the latest salaries by department and job title. The average estimated annual salary, including base and bonus, at West Marine is $114,497, or $55 per hour, while the estimated median salary is $118,143, or $56 per hour.
At West Marine, the highest paid job is a Director of Sales at $212,078 annually and the lowest is a CS Rep at $47,128 annually. Average West Marine salaries by department include: IT at $96,523, Product at $154,025, Finance at $83,864, and Operations at $94,697. Half of West Marine salaries are above $118,143.
88 employees at West Marine rank their Compensation in the Bottom 10% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 268 ratings) while 83 employees at West Marine rank their Perks And Benefits in the Bottom 10% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 88 ratings).
Salaries contributed from West Marine employees include job titles like Sales Associate. Comparably data has a total of 0 salary records from West Marine employees.
Last updated months ago.
| Summary | Salary Range | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
1st Percentile $70k | $70k | 1st Percentile |
17th Percentile $91k | $91k | 17th Percentile |
33rd Percentile $116k | $116k | 33rd Percentile |
50th Percentile $166k | $166k | 50th Percentile |
67th Percentile $221k | $221k | 67th Percentile |
83rd Percentile $248k | $248k | 83rd Percentile |
100th Percentile $280k | $280k | 100th Percentile |
* Estimated salaries Estimated salaries are based on data provided anonymously by employees and/or estimated by other statistical methods.
Diverse employees at West Marine score the company 73/100 across various culture categories, placing West Marine in the Top 30% of companies on Comparably with 1,001-5,000 Employees for Comparably's diversity score. The Diversity score provides insights into how diverse employees feel and rate their work experience at West Marine across various culture dimensions.
West Marine's PTO and Vacation policy typically gives 0-10 days off a year. Paid Time Off is West Marine's most important benefit besides Healthcare when ranked by employees, with 40% of employees saying it is the most important benefit. West Marine's benefits and PTO Package averages to represent a $2500+ cash value per month.

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In 2019, West Marine applied for 2 H1B visas. Of the work permits applied for, 100% were approved.
H1B Applications Outcome
This data was calculated using publicly sourced data from OFLC Performance Data

Candidates By Department
Sales | 50% | |
|---|---|---|
All Industries | 50% |
Candidates By Location
Atlanta | 17% | |
|---|---|---|
San Francisco | 17% | |
Plymouth | 17% | |
Arlington | 17% | |
Boston | 17% | |
Other | 17% |
Who is the CEO of West Marine?
West Marine CEO is Ken Seipel, their score by employees is 61
What is West Marine eNPS?
The eNPS for West Marine is -20
What is the salary for Executive Assistant in West Marine?
Executive Assistant average salary in the US is 68k
What are the salaries in the IT in West Marine?
The average salaries for IT in West Marine is 97k
Who are West Marine competitors?
West Marine main competitors are MarineMax, Bass Pro Shops, Moosejaw Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel, Hibbett Sports