Merchant Seaman Salary: What US Mariners Earn by Rank
Real wage data by rank — from entry-level deckhand to master and chief engineer — sourced from federal labor statistics, not guesswork.
Merchant seaman salary: $51K to $150K+, by rank.
The median merchant seaman salary in the United States is $66,490 a year — $31.97 an hour — across every water transportation occupation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. That blended figure spans the full industry. Break it out by license and the range widens considerably: unlicensed deck and engine crew — able seamen, ordinary seamen, oilers, wipers — median close to $51,500 a year; licensed deck officers, third mate through master, median $92,460; and licensed engineering officers, third assistant engineer through chief, median $109,530.
Those three numbers are the backbone of every figure on this page. Rank, license, and vessel type explain most of the spread — a new ordinary seaman and a tanker master are both “merchant seamen” by occupation, but they are not close on pay.
What each rank actually earns.
The federal government doesn’t track wages by shipboard title — it tracks them by occupational code. Code 53-5021, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, spans third mate through master. Code 53-5031, Ship Engineers, spans third assistant engineer through chief. Unlicensed ratings fall under 53-5011, Sailors and Marine Oilers. The ranges below combine those BLS medians with reported market data from Payscale (117 reported salaries, 10th–90th percentile $58,000–$181,000, updated May 2026) to show where each individual rank typically sits within its BLS category.
| Rank | Typical annual range (USD) |
|---|---|
Ordinary Seaman / Wiper Entry-level, unlicensed | $36,000 – $52,000 |
Able Seaman / Oiler Experienced, unlicensed | $46,000 – $65,000 |
Third Mate / Third Assistant Engineer Junior licensed officer | $62,000 – $90,000 |
Second Mate / Second Assistant Engineer Mid licensed officer | $75,000 – $105,000 |
Chief Mate / First Assistant Engineer Senior licensed officer | $90,000 – $135,000 |
Master (Captain) Deck department head | $100,000 – $185,000+ |
Chief Engineer Engine department head | $100,000 – $160,000+ |
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics via O*NET (codes 53-5021, 53-5031, 53-5011) and Payscale reported-salary data. Ranges are typical bands, not guaranteed figures — actual pay varies by employer, vessel type, and contract.
Six variables move the number more than the job title does.
Every rank on this page fits under the broad definition of a mariner, but “mariner” covers a lot of ground. These are the factors that explain most of the spread between two people holding the same license:
License grade and tonnage rating
Higher horsepower and tonnage endorsements unlock higher-paying vessels and command opportunities.
Vessel type and trade
Tankers, LNG carriers, and government-contract vessels generally out-pay general cargo and inland towing.
US-flag vs foreign-flag
Jones Act cabotage rules and federal cargo-preference programs keep US-flag wages materially above most foreign-flag crewing.
Union vs non-union contract
Standardized union wage scales set the benchmark that many non-union operators price against.
Government and military-adjacent roles
Military Sealift Command hires civilian mariners to crew government support vessels, with pay tied by law to commercial maritime rates rather than the standard federal scale.
Sailing rotation
Pay is usually built around a fixed rotation — 60, 90, or 120 days on, comparable time off — which changes how an annual figure compares to a shore-side salary.
For a closer look at how officer and rating pay structures compare across contract types, see the companion piece on merchant marine salary. For federal mariner pay specifically, Military Sealift Command publishes current CIVMAR pay and finance information directly, including base and premium pay structure.
Where sea pay caps out, shore leadership begins.
Senior licensed officers — chief mates, masters, chief engineers — often reach the top of the seagoing pay scale years before they reach the top of their career. A common next move is ashore: terminal management, marine superintendent, harbor pilot, vessel-traffic and port-safety roles, and eventually port authority or terminal executive leadership. The operational judgment built across years of watchstanding and vessel command transfers directly — reading tariffs, running safety and security programs, managing labor and cargo operations at scale.
Credentialing built specifically for that transition — including the Certified Port Executive™ Program — is one recognized path from operational sea-going or terminal experience into executive port leadership, alongside internal promotion and lateral moves from government or logistics roles. The full trajectory, from entry-level deck and terminal roles to the port CEO’s office, is mapped on the port management career path, with more on the program itself on the program page.
Common questions, answered.
What's the highest-paying merchant marine role?
Chief engineer and master/captain positions on tankers, LNG carriers, and government-contracted vessels typically sit at the top of the pay scale — commonly $150,000 or more on union contracts. BLS/O*NET data reports an overall median of $109,530 for licensed engineering officers and $92,460 for licensed deck officers across all vessel types and experience levels, with the top of the range well above those medians.
Does experience level matter?
Yes — by regulation, not just employer preference. Advancing from one US Coast Guard license to the next (third mate to second mate to chief mate to master, for example) requires documented sea time plus a USCG exam at each step, so rank, experience, and pay move together by design. See My Next Move’s licensing and training summary for the specifics.
Union vs non-union pay?
Union contracts generally pay more and set clearer wage scales. Officers organized through groups like American Maritime Officers, the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, and the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, and unlicensed crew through the Seafarers International Union, negotiate standardized rates that many non-union operators use as a benchmark. Even federal mariners aren't exempt from that dynamic — Military Sealift Command sets its civilian mariner pay by law to track prevailing commercial maritime rates rather than the standard federal pay scale.
US vs international pay?
US-flag officers and crew generally out-earn foreign-flag counterparts. The Jones Act's cabotage requirement and federal cargo-preference programs reserve certain US trades for US-crewed vessels, which supports wages well above what many flag-of-convenience operators pay crews sourced from lower-wage-cost countries.
How does merchant marine pay compare to Navy?
They're structured differently, which makes direct comparison tricky. Active-duty Navy pay follows the Department of Defense basic pay table plus tax-free housing and subsistence allowances, healthcare, and a pension — a lieutenant or lieutenant commander with eight to twelve years of service typically earns less in raw cash than a senior commercial merchant marine officer with comparable experience, though total compensation narrows the gap. Government mariners crewing Military Sealift Command vessels sit in between: federal employees, but paid on a scale tied to commercial maritime rates rather than the military pay table.
Thinking about the executive track?
Operational experience at sea or on the dock is exactly what the Certified Port Executive™ Program is built on. See the curriculum, or apply for a 2026 cohort.