Chief Officer salary at sea: November 2026
Deck Officers
The median monthly salary offered to a Chief Officer is $8,200. Half of the vacancies offer between $7,300 and $11,000. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 1,998 vacancies from 179 companies in August–October 2026.
- Median
- $8,200per month
- Middle half
- $7,300–11,00025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $6,150–11,80010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 1,998179 companies, 1 Aug–31 Oct 2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $8,200
- middle half, $7,300–11,000
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| under $3,999 | 6 |
| 4,000–$4,999 | 17 |
| 5,000–$5,999 | 121 |
| 6,000–$6,999 | 222 |
| 7,000–$7,999 | 479 |
| 8,000–$8,999 | 315 |
| 9,000–$9,999 | 122 |
| 10,000–$10,999 | 207 |
| 11,000–$11,999 | 322 |
| 12,000–$12,999 | 80 |
| 13,000–$13,999 | 49 |
| 14,000–$14,999 | 8 |
| $15,000 and above | 50 |
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, $8,200
| Vessel type | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas carrier156 vacancies, 47 companies | $13,000 | middle half $12,000–15,300 | |
| Chemical tanker239 vacancies, 64 companies | $11,000 | middle half $10,000–11,500 | |
| Oil tanker446 vacancies, 67 companies | $11,000 | middle half $10,000–11,300 | |
| Offshore vessels20 vacancies, 10 companies | $9,000 | range: not enough data | |
| Bulk carrier369 vacancies, 79 companies | $7,900 | middle half $7,600–8,100 | |
| Ro-ro and car carriers60 vacancies, 23 companies | $7,900 | middle half $7,500–8,100 | |
| Container ship206 vacancies, 57 companies | $7,500 | middle half $7,400–8,100 | |
| Reefer14 vacancies, 7 companies | $7,000 | range: not enough data | |
| General cargo and multipurpose388 vacancies, 71 companies | $6,450 | middle half $6,000–7,200 |
Chief Officer: on gas carriers the median is $13,000, on chemical tankers $11,000, on oil tankers $11,000, on offshore vessels $9,000, on bulk carriers $7,900, on ro-ro ships and car carriers $7,900, on container ships $7,500, on reefers $7,000, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $6,450.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 705 vacancies of 1,998, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide529 vacancies, 72 companies | $8,900 | middle half $7,850–11,400 | |
| Europe88 vacancies, 30 companies | $6,350 | middle half $6,000–7,500 | |
| Baltic Sea35 vacancies, 15 companies | $6,500 | middle half $6,100–6,850 | |
| North Sea18 vacancies, 8 companies | $6,650 | range: not enough data | |
| Mediterranean17 vacancies, 13 companies | $6,000 | range: not enough data | |
| Asia12 vacancies, 7 companies | $8,500 | range: not enough data |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 1,969 vacancies of 1,998.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $8,200 | 582 |
| September 2026 | $8,200 | 573 |
| October 2026 | $8,000 | 445 |
October vs August: −2.4%. 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 August–October 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 Officer rank in August–October 2026 offered a median of $8,200 per month (1,998 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-11/chief-officer
8Questions and answers
What is a Chief Officer offered on an oil tanker?
The median in vacancies on oil tankers is $11,000 per month (446 vacancies from 67 companies in August–October 2026).
What is the pay range for a Chief Officer?
Half of the vacancies offer between $7,300 and $11,000 per month; the median is $8,200.
What contract length is typical for a Chief Officer?
Most often 4 months: stated in 998 vacancies of 1,969 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Chief Officer vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/chief-officer
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.