Second Engineer salary at sea: November 2026
Engine Department
The median monthly salary offered to a Second Engineer is $8,200. Half of the vacancies offer between $7,500 and $10,500. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 2,070 vacancies from 180 companies in August–October 2026.
- Median
- $8,200per month
- Middle half
- $7,500–10,50025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $7,000–12,00010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 2,070180 companies, 1 Aug–31 Oct 2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $8,200
- middle half, $7,500–10,500
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| under $4,999 | 65 |
| 5,000–$5,999 | 34 |
| 6,000–$6,999 | 84 |
| 7,000–$7,999 | 667 |
| 8,000–$8,999 | 451 |
| 9,000–$9,999 | 123 |
| 10,000–$10,999 | 176 |
| 11,000–$11,999 | 262 |
| 12,000–$12,999 | 83 |
| 13,000–$13,999 | 41 |
| 14,000–$14,999 | 24 |
| $15,000 and above | 60 |
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 carrier252 vacancies, 55 companies | $12,000 | middle half $8,100–15,000 | |
| Chemical tanker263 vacancies, 73 companies | $11,000 | middle half $9,500–11,500 | |
| Oil tanker395 vacancies, 70 companies | $10,500 | middle half $10,000–11,300 | |
| Reefer12 vacancies, 8 companies | $7,900 | range: not enough data | |
| Bulk carrier419 vacancies, 88 companies | $7,800 | middle half $7,500–8,200 | |
| Container ship391 vacancies, 66 companies | $7,600 | middle half $7,500–8,050 | |
| Offshore vessels13 vacancies, 6 companies | $7,500 | range: not enough data | |
| Ro-ro and car carriers72 vacancies, 18 companies | $7,500 | middle half $7,400–8,100 | |
| General cargo and multipurpose171 vacancies, 52 companies | $7,200 | middle half $5,250–7,700 |
Second Engineer: on gas carriers the median is $12,000, on chemical tankers $11,000, on oil tankers $10,500, on reefers $7,900, on bulk carriers $7,800, on container ships $7,600, on offshore vessels $7,500, on ro-ro ships and car carriers $7,500, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $7,200.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 719 vacancies of 2,070, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide599 vacancies, 76 companies | $8,500 | middle half $7,600–11,300 | |
| Europe34 vacancies, 19 companies | $7,600 | middle half $6,650–8,650 | |
| Mediterranean28 vacancies, 14 companies | $6,600 | range: not enough data | |
| Africa13 vacancies, 8 companies | $8,500 | range: not enough data | |
| Asia12 vacancies, 8 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 2,054 vacancies of 2,070.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $8,000 | 571 |
| September 2026 | $8,200 | 628 |
| October 2026 | $8,250 | 452 |
October vs August: +2.8%. 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 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 Second Engineer rank in August–October 2026 offered a median of $8,200 per month (2,070 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-11/second-engineer
8Questions and answers
What is a Second Engineer offered on a bulk carrier?
The median in vacancies on bulk carriers is $7,800 per month (419 vacancies from 88 companies in August–October 2026).
What is the pay range for a Second Engineer?
Half of the vacancies offer between $7,500 and $10,500 per month; the median is $8,200.
What contract length is typical for a Second Engineer?
Most often 4 months: stated in 1,039 vacancies of 2,054 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Second Engineer vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/second-engineer
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.