Chief Engineer salary at sea: October 2026
Engine Department
The median monthly salary offered to a Chief Engineer is $10,250. Half of the vacancies offer between $9,000 and $13,500. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 1,569 vacancies from 154 companies in July–September 2026.
- Median
- $10,250per month
- Middle half
- $9,000–13,50025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $7,500–14,50010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 1,569154 companies, 01/07–30/09/2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $10,250
- middle half, $9,000–13,500
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| under $4,999 | 20 |
| 5,000–$5,999 | 16 |
| 6,000–$6,999 | 79 |
| 7,000–$7,999 | 64 |
| 8,000–$8,999 | 183 |
| 9,000–$9,999 | 340 |
| 10,000–$10,999 | 196 |
| 11,000–$11,999 | 69 |
| 12,000–$12,999 | 97 |
| 13,000–$13,999 | 144 |
| 14,000–$14,999 | 242 |
| 15,000–$15,999 | 58 |
| 16,000–$16,999 | 13 |
| 17,000–$17,999 | 2 |
| $18,000 and above | 46 |
2By vessel type
Median and range by vessel type. The vertical line is the rank's median across all vessels. The range is shown from 30 vacancies and 5 companies; otherwise only the median.
- median
- middle half
- median across all vessels, $10,250
| Vessel type | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas carrier93 vacancies, 36 companies | $16,000 | middle half $14,000–22,000 | |
| Oil tanker417 vacancies, 62 companies | $14,000 | middle half $13,000–14,000 | |
| Chemical tanker149 vacancies, 52 companies | $13,500 | middle half $12,500–14,200 | |
| Bulk carrier245 vacancies, 62 companies | $9,950 | middle half $9,500–10,300 | |
| Offshore vessels10 vacancies, 7 companies | $9,900 | range: not enough data | |
| Ro-ro and car carriers35 vacancies, 14 companies | $9,800 | middle half $9,600–10,400 | |
| Container ship180 vacancies, 49 companies | $9,500 | middle half $9,500–10,000 | |
| General cargo and multipurpose345 vacancies, 63 companies | $8,350 | middle half $7,000–9,000 |
Chief Engineer: on gas carriers the median is $16,000, on oil tankers $14,000, on chemical tankers $13,500, on bulk carriers $9,950, on offshore vessels $9,900, on ro-ro ships and car carriers $9,800, on container ships $9,500, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $8,350.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 555 vacancies of 1,569, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide391 vacancies, 66 companies | $11,200 | middle half $9,700–14,000 | |
| Europe78 vacancies, 23 companies | $7,850 | middle half $6,800–8,550 | |
| Baltic Sea39 vacancies, 17 companies | $8,200 | middle half $7,450–8,550 | |
| North Sea19 vacancies, 6 companies | $8,500 | range: not enough data | |
| Mediterranean18 vacancies, 11 companies | $7,300 | range: not enough data |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 1,542 vacancies of 1,569.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | $10,500 | 389 |
| August 2026 | $10,300 | 517 |
| September 2026 | $10,000 | 622 |
September vs July: −4.8%. This is within normal variation: a difference under 5% happens month to month without any market movement.
6Related ranks
7Methodology
Vacancies published on Rynda Crewing and open for at least one day in July–September 2026. Each vacancy counts once; the lower bound of the pay range is used; monthly pay only; conversion to US dollars at the rate on the day the vacancy appeared. More on the methodology
According to Rynda Crewing, vacancies for the Chief Engineer rank in July–September 2026 offered a median of $10,250 per month (1,569 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-10/chief-engineer
8Questions and answers
What is a Chief Engineer offered on an oil tanker?
The median in vacancies on oil tankers is $14,000 per month (417 vacancies from 62 companies in July–September 2026).
What is the pay range for a Chief Engineer?
Half of the vacancies offer between $9,000 and $13,500 per month; the median is $10,250.
What contract length is typical for a Chief Engineer?
Most often 4 months: stated in 840 vacancies of 1,542 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Chief Engineer vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/chief-engineer
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.