Third Officer salary at sea: November 2026
Deck Officers
The median monthly salary offered to a Third Officer is $3,500. Half of the vacancies offer between $3,200 and $4,000. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 933 vacancies from 132 companies in August–October 2026.
- Median
- $3,500per month
- Middle half
- $3,200–4,00025th to 75th percentile
- 80% of vacancies
- $3,000–4,35010th to 90th percentile
- Vacancies
- 933132 companies, 1 Aug–31 Oct 2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $3,500
- middle half, $3,200–4,000
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| under $2,499 | 37 |
| 2,500–$2,749 | 28 |
| 2,750–$2,999 | 18 |
| 3,000–$3,249 | 215 |
| 3,250–$3,499 | 151 |
| 3,500–$3,749 | 180 |
| 3,750–$3,999 | 61 |
| 4,000–$4,249 | 128 |
| 4,250–$4,499 | 43 |
| 4,500–$4,749 | 50 |
| 4,750–$4,999 | 0 |
| 5,000–$5,249 | 4 |
| $5,250 and above | 18 |
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, $3,500
| Vessel type | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas carrier51 vacancies, 25 companies | $4,600 | middle half $4,000–5,500 | |
| Chemical tanker156 vacancies, 51 companies | $4,000 | middle half $3,500–4,200 | |
| Oil tanker214 vacancies, 53 companies | $3,900 | middle half $3,300–4,200 | |
| Ro-ro and car carriers22 vacancies, 11 companies | $3,850 | range: not enough data | |
| Bulk carrier217 vacancies, 57 companies | $3,350 | middle half $3,200–3,500 | |
| General cargo and multipurpose114 vacancies, 35 companies | $3,200 | middle half $2,850–3,450 | |
| Container ship117 vacancies, 27 companies | $3,100 | middle half $3,000–3,450 |
Third Officer: on gas carriers the median is $4,600, on chemical tankers $4,000, on oil tankers $3,900, on ro-ro ships and car carriers $3,850, on bulk carriers $3,350, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $3,200, on container ships $3,100.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 325 vacancies of 933, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide259 vacancies, 49 companies | $3,500 | middle half $3,450–4,100 | |
| Europe38 vacancies, 19 companies | $3,500 | middle half $3,300–3,600 | |
| Mediterranean17 vacancies, 8 companies | $3,200 | range: not enough data |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 927 vacancies of 933.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $3,500 | 256 |
| September 2026 | $3,500 | 278 |
| October 2026 | $3,500 | 208 |
October vs August: 0.0%. 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 Third Officer rank in August–October 2026 offered a median of $3,500 per month (933 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-11/third-officer
8Questions and answers
What is a Third Officer offered on a bulk carrier?
The median in vacancies on bulk carriers is $3,350 per month (217 vacancies from 57 companies in August–October 2026).
What is the pay range for a Third Officer?
Half of the vacancies offer between $3,200 and $4,000 per month; the median is $3,500.
What contract length is typical for a Third Officer?
Most often 4 months: stated in 290 vacancies of 927 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Third Officer vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/third-officer
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.