Ship's Cook salary at sea: November 2026
Catering Department
The median monthly salary offered to a Ship's Cook is $2,350. Half of the vacancies offer between $2,100 and $2,700. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 344 vacancies from 87 companies in August–October 2026.
- Median
- $2,350per month
- Middle half
- $2,100–2,70025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $2,000–3,00010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 34487 companies, 1 Aug–31 Oct 2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $2,350
- middle half, $2,100–2,700
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| under $1,499 | 1 |
| 1,500–$1,749 | 11 |
| 1,750–$1,999 | 20 |
| 2,000–$2,249 | 108 |
| 2,250–$2,499 | 58 |
| 2,500–$2,749 | 63 |
| 2,750–$2,999 | 37 |
| 3,000–$3,249 | 33 |
| 3,250–$3,499 | 1 |
| 3,500–$3,749 | 4 |
| $3,750 and above | 8 |
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, $2,350
| Vessel type | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical tanker29 vacancies, 15 companies | $2,500 | range: not enough data | |
| Oil tanker72 vacancies, 20 companies | $2,500 | middle half $2,150–2,850 | |
| Bulk carrier74 vacancies, 28 companies | $2,450 | middle half $2,000–2,700 | |
| Reefer10 vacancies, 8 companies | $2,400 | range: not enough data | |
| General cargo and multipurpose84 vacancies, 29 companies | $2,250 | middle half $2,100–2,350 | |
| Container ship26 vacancies, 8 companies | $2,000 | range: not enough data |
Ship's Cook: on chemical tankers the median is $2,500, on oil tankers $2,500, on bulk carriers $2,450, on reefers $2,400, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $2,250, on container ships $2,000.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 98 vacancies of 344, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide54 vacancies, 22 companies | $2,500 | middle half $2,200–2,700 | |
| Mediterranean16 vacancies, 10 companies | $2,250 | range: not enough data | |
| Europe10 vacancies, 5 companies | $2,250 | range: not enough data |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 326 vacancies of 344.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $2,300 | 88 |
| September 2026 | $2,350 | 106 |
| October 2026 | $2,450 | 66 |
Too few vacancies to conclude: one of the months has fewer than 100.
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 Ship's Cook rank in August–October 2026 offered a median of $2,350 per month (344 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-11/ship-s-cook
8Questions and answers
What is a Ship's Cook offered on a general cargo ship?
The median in vacancies on general cargo and multipurpose vessels is $2,250 per month (84 vacancies from 29 companies in August–October 2026).
What is the pay range for a Ship's Cook?
Half of the vacancies offer between $2,100 and $2,700 per month; the median is $2,350.
What contract length is typical for a Ship's Cook?
Most often 6 months: stated in 110 vacancies of 326 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Ship's Cook vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/ship-s-cook
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.