Second Officer salary at sea: November 2026
Deck Officers
The median monthly salary offered to a Second Officer is $4,200. Half of the vacancies offer between $3,750 and $4,600. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 1,007 vacancies from 139 companies in August–October 2026.
- Median
- $4,200per month
- Middle half
- $3,750–4,60025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $3,500–5,25010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 1,007139 companies, 1 Aug–31 Oct 2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $4,200
- middle half, $3,750–4,600
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| under $2,499 | 9 |
| 2,500–$2,999 | 22 |
| 3,000–$3,499 | 68 |
| 3,500–$3,999 | 281 |
| 4,000–$4,499 | 259 |
| 4,500–$4,999 | 188 |
| 5,000–$5,499 | 103 |
| 5,500–$5,999 | 43 |
| 6,000–$6,499 | 16 |
| 6,500–$6,999 | 4 |
| $7,000 and above | 14 |
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, $4,200
| Vessel type | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore vessels15 vacancies, 7 companies | $6,000 | range: not enough data | |
| Gas carrier60 vacancies, 28 companies | $5,500 | middle half $4,750–5,950 | |
| Oil tanker189 vacancies, 56 companies | $4,700 | middle half $4,500–5,000 | |
| Chemical tanker138 vacancies, 52 companies | $4,500 | middle half $4,200–5,000 | |
| Ro-ro and car carriers15 vacancies, 10 companies | $4,400 | range: not enough data | |
| Bulk carrier153 vacancies, 45 companies | $4,000 | middle half $3,750–4,100 | |
| Reefer12 vacancies, 9 companies | $4,000 | range: not enough data | |
| General cargo and multipurpose210 vacancies, 56 companies | $3,750 | middle half $3,350–4,000 | |
| Container ship150 vacancies, 40 companies | $3,750 | middle half $3,600–4,200 |
Second Officer: on offshore vessels the median is $6,000, on gas carriers $5,500, on oil tankers $4,700, on chemical tankers $4,500, on ro-ro ships and car carriers $4,400, on bulk carriers $4,000, on reefers $4,000, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $3,750, on container ships $3,750.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 357 vacancies of 1,007, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide261 vacancies, 58 companies | $4,400 | middle half $4,000–5,000 | |
| Europe45 vacancies, 22 companies | $4,250 | middle half $3,800–4,650 | |
| Mediterranean19 vacancies, 12 companies | $4,000 | range: not enough data | |
| Baltic Sea16 vacancies, 10 companies | $3,900 | range: not enough data | |
| North Sea12 vacancies, 4 companies | $4,000 | range: not enough data |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 985 vacancies of 1,007.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $4,050 | 269 |
| September 2026 | $4,100 | 283 |
| October 2026 | $4,250 | 255 |
October vs August: +4.4%. 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 Second Officer rank in August–October 2026 offered a median of $4,200 per month (1,007 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-11/second-officer
8Questions and answers
What is a Second Officer offered on a general cargo ship?
The median in vacancies on general cargo and multipurpose vessels is $3,750 per month (210 vacancies from 56 companies in August–October 2026).
What is the pay range for a Second Officer?
Half of the vacancies offer between $3,750 and $4,600 per month; the median is $4,200.
What contract length is typical for a Second Officer?
Most often 4 months: stated in 340 vacancies of 985 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Second Officer vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/second-officer
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.