‘Here’s the juicy part’ Range of a seaman’s monthly take on international vessels

SOME of us are wondering how much seafarers receive in terms of salaries, bonuses, and others out there.

Here’s a glimpse into the “juicy” world of seafarers, who hold esteemed positions and are among the highest earners worldwide.

According to a blog post by Seaman Memories, “Our monthly salaries surpass those of most landbased professions.”

The offshore industry, in particular, offers the highest wages, with some seafarers earning up to USD 1,000.00 per day. However, this salary is typically reserved for Master Mariners on Jack-up Barges.

Surprisingly, the average salary for Masters and Chief Engineers is around USD 12,000.00 per month.

Now, let’s delve into this intriguing topic further by focusing on various types of tankers and dry cargo ships.

Tankers are often considered one of the riskier vessel types, but the remuneration is commensurate with the hazards involved. Determining exact wages for each tanker type can be challenging due to the multitude of vessel variations.

To simplify matters, I have compiled and compared salary information for four tanker types. Feel free to explore to determine if your pay aligns with industry standards. Please note that these figures may vary depending on factors such as overtime, bonuses, and additional income.

Bosuns, Pumpmen, and Fitters typically fall within the same salary range.

Although the Chief Mate holds the highest rank in the deck department, their income is slightly lower than that of the Chief Engineer. The Second Engineer is the counterpart to the Chief Mate in the engine department.

Captains generally enjoy a five-figure monthly salary, while Cadets tend to be the lowest-paid crew members.

However, certain ships offer additional allowances to Cadets in the deck and engine departments. These allowances are often provided as cash incentives from excess overtime payments given by crew members and/or officers.

“I experienced this privilege when I was a deck cadet,” recalls another seafarer. “Our Chief Officer always allocated extra overtime hours to the Bosun, 2 ABs, and the Ordinary Seaman (OS). Since we had an open overtime system, they would then give me extra dollars, totaling up to USD 100.00 every month!”

“This was in addition to the extra treats bestowed upon me during shore leave by Ratings, Junior, and Senior Officers,” shared the Seaman Memories writer.

Moving on to wages on dry cargo ships, tankers are not the sole vessel type in the industry. While there are hundreds of different kinds of vessels, I have chosen a few examples for illustrative purposes.

Comparatively, salaries on tanker ships are generally higher than those on dry cargo ships. However, some companies offer highly competitive rates for bulkers. For officers and engineers, the wage difference between these two types of ships can range from USD 300 to USD 1,000 per month.

By considering salary alone, one can identify which vessel type may be the most lucrative to work on.

Salary Increase

In November, the Committee agreed to increase the minimum wage for an Able Seaman (AB) by USD 27.00 over the next three years, constituting a 4.5% increase from the current rate of USD 614.00.

The implementation of the increase is as follows:

July 1, 2019: USD 4.00 increase January 1, 2020: USD 4.00 increase January 1, 2021: USD 16.00 increase

It should be noted that this increase applies to the basic pay, bringing the minimum basic wage for an Able Seaman to USD 641.00 as of the start of 2021.

Who Sets the Minimum Wage?

Despite holding the same ranks and working on similar vessels, seafarers’ salaries can vary slightly or even significantly. Many seafarers often switch companies in search of better opportunities.

We sometimes envy mariners of Turn to page 11