Master salary at sea: November 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 1,200 vacancies from 148 companies in August–October 2026.
- Median
- $11,000per month
- Middle half
- $9,500–14,00025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $8,250–15,30010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 1,200148 companies, 1 Aug–31 Oct 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 | 10 |
| 6,000–$6,999 | 8 |
| 7,000–$7,999 | 49 |
| 8,000–$8,999 | 119 |
| 9,000–$9,999 | 197 |
| 10,000–$10,999 | 206 |
| 11,000–$11,999 | 66 |
| 12,000–$12,999 | 51 |
| 13,000–$13,999 | 123 |
| 14,000–$14,999 | 206 |
| 15,000–$15,999 | 69 |
| 16,000–$16,999 | 56 |
| 17,000–$17,999 | 1 |
| 18,000–$18,999 | 2 |
| $19,000 and above | 37 |
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 carrier107 vacancies, 38 companies | $16,100 | middle half $16,000–20,500 | |
| Oil tanker328 vacancies, 57 companies | $14,000 | middle half $13,000–14,500 | |
| Chemical tanker138 vacancies, 44 companies | $13,800 | middle half $12,150–14,500 | |
| Offshore vessels10 vacancies, 5 companies | $10,500 | range: not enough data | |
| Ro-ro and car carriers22 vacancies, 11 companies | $10,500 | range: not enough data | |
| Bulk carrier236 vacancies, 61 companies | $10,000 | middle half $9,700–10,500 | |
| Container ship121 vacancies, 37 companies | $9,500 | middle half $9,100–9,600 | |
| General cargo and multipurpose180 vacancies, 52 companies | $8,300 | middle half $8,000–9,000 |
Master: on gas carriers the median is $16,100, on oil tankers $14,000, on chemical tankers $13,800, on offshore vessels $10,500, 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 $8,300.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 437 vacancies of 1,200, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide334 vacancies, 59 companies | $12,000 | middle half $10,000–14,500 | |
| Europe45 vacancies, 22 companies | $8,500 | middle half $8,050–9,100 | |
| Baltic Sea29 vacancies, 11 companies | $8,450 | range: not enough data |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 1,180 vacancies of 1,200.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $11,200 | 294 |
| September 2026 | $11,000 | 353 |
| October 2026 | $10,600 | 270 |
October vs August: −5.4%.
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 Master rank in August–October 2026 offered a median of $11,000 per month (1,200 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-11/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 (328 vacancies from 57 companies in August–October 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 651 vacancies of 1,180 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.