Third Officer salary at sea: October 2026
Deck Officers
The median monthly salary offered to a Third Officer is $3,500. Half of the vacancies offer between $3,200 and $3,950. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 737 vacancies from 118 companies in July–September 2026.
- Median
- $3,500per month
- Middle half
- $3,200–3,95025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $3,000–4,35010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 737118 companies, 01/07–30/09/2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $3,500
- middle half, $3,200–3,950
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| under $2,499 | 30 |
| 2,500–$2,749 | 19 |
| 2,750–$2,999 | 16 |
| 3,000–$3,249 | 175 |
| 3,250–$3,499 | 125 |
| 3,500–$3,749 | 137 |
| 3,750–$3,999 | 56 |
| 4,000–$4,249 | 91 |
| 4,250–$4,499 | 30 |
| 4,500–$4,749 | 42 |
| 4,750–$4,999 | 0 |
| 5,000–$5,249 | 4 |
| $5,250 and above | 12 |
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, $3,500
| Vessel type | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas carrier37 vacancies, 22 companies | $4,500 | middle half $4,000–5,000 | |
| Chemical tanker120 vacancies, 49 companies | $4,000 | middle half $3,500–4,200 | |
| Ro-ro and car carriers20 vacancies, 10 companies | $3,850 | range: not enough data | |
| Oil tanker174 vacancies, 47 companies | $3,800 | middle half $3,200–4,200 | |
| Bulk carrier175 vacancies, 50 companies | $3,400 | middle half $3,200–3,500 | |
| General cargo and multipurpose95 vacancies, 26 companies | $3,300 | middle half $2,850–3,450 | |
| Container ship87 vacancies, 23 companies | $3,100 | middle half $3,000–3,300 |
Third Officer: on gas carriers the median is $4,500, on chemical tankers $4,000, on ro-ro ships and car carriers $3,850, on oil tankers $3,800, on bulk carriers $3,400, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $3,300, on container ships $3,100.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 270 vacancies of 737, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide221 vacancies, 44 companies | $3,500 | middle half $3,450–4,000 | |
| Europe26 vacancies, 13 companies | $3,400 | range: not enough data | |
| Mediterranean14 vacancies, 8 companies | $3,200 | range: not enough data |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 731 vacancies of 737.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | $3,450 | 185 |
| August 2026 | $3,500 | 256 |
| September 2026 | $3,500 | 278 |
September vs July: +1.4%. 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 Third Officer rank in July–September 2026 offered a median of $3,500 per month (737 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-10/third-officer
8Questions and answers
What is a Third Officer offered on a bulk carrier?
The median in vacancies on bulk carriers is $3,400 per month (175 vacancies from 50 companies in July–September 2026).
What is the pay range for a Third Officer?
Half of the vacancies offer between $3,200 and $3,950 per month; the median is $3,500.
What contract length is typical for a Third Officer?
Most often 4 months: stated in 229 vacancies of 731 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Third Officer vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/third-officer
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.