Master salary at sea: October 2026
Deck Officers
The median monthly salary offered to a Master is $11,000. Half of the vacancies offer between $9,500 and $14,000. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 946 vacancies from 135 companies in July–September 2026.
- Median
- $11,000per month
- Middle half
- $9,500–14,00025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $8,500–15,00010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 946135 companies, 01/07–30/09/2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $11,000
- middle half, $9,500–14,000
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| under $5,999 | 8 |
| 6,000–$6,999 | 8 |
| 7,000–$7,999 | 29 |
| 8,000–$8,999 | 80 |
| 9,000–$9,999 | 162 |
| 10,000–$10,999 | 175 |
| 11,000–$11,999 | 55 |
| 12,000–$12,999 | 43 |
| 13,000–$13,999 | 109 |
| 14,000–$14,999 | 162 |
| 15,000–$15,999 | 52 |
| 16,000–$16,999 | 34 |
| 17,000–$17,999 | 1 |
| 18,000–$18,999 | 1 |
| $19,000 and above | 27 |
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, $11,000
| Vessel type | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas carrier70 vacancies, 29 companies | $16,500 | middle half $15,550–22,000 | |
| Oil tanker274 vacancies, 53 companies | $14,000 | middle half $13,000–14,500 | |
| Chemical tanker102 vacancies, 37 companies | $13,850 | middle half $13,000–14,500 | |
| Ro-ro and car carriers16 vacancies, 11 companies | $10,500 | range: not enough data | |
| Bulk carrier208 vacancies, 58 companies | $10,000 | middle half $9,700–10,500 | |
| Container ship97 vacancies, 33 companies | $9,500 | middle half $9,150–9,600 | |
| General cargo and multipurpose129 vacancies, 42 companies | $8,500 | middle half $8,000–9,200 |
Master: on gas carriers the median is $16,500, on oil tankers $14,000, on chemical tankers $13,850, on ro-ro ships and car carriers $10,500, on bulk carriers $10,000, on container ships $9,500, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $8,500.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 359 vacancies of 946, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide285 vacancies, 54 companies | $11,200 | middle half $10,000–14,500 | |
| Europe32 vacancies, 17 companies | $8,500 | middle half $8,050–9,400 | |
| Baltic Sea18 vacancies, 7 companies | $8,550 | range: not enough data |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 929 vacancies of 946.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | $10,550 | 272 |
| August 2026 | $11,200 | 294 |
| September 2026 | $11,000 | 353 |
September vs July: +4.3%. 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 Master rank in July–September 2026 offered a median of $11,000 per month (946 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-10/master
8Questions and answers
What is a Master offered on an oil tanker?
The median in vacancies on oil tankers is $14,000 per month (274 vacancies from 53 companies in July–September 2026).
What is the pay range for a Master?
Half of the vacancies offer between $9,500 and $14,000 per month; the median is $11,000.
What contract length is typical for a Master?
Most often 4 months: stated in 528 vacancies of 929 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Master vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/master
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.