Merchant Navy Captain Salary
Last updated on November 9th, 2023 at 10:50 am
Merchant Navy is a profession that for long has been recognized for paying high lucrative salaries to its employees. This is one of the biggest factors that drive thousands of candidates every year to join this profession. Apart from this seafarers are also exempted from paying taxes as long as they serve for more than 183 days in a financial year on board a foreign vessel. This means that at the end of the contract seafarers have a fat bank account of completely tax-free money. A Captain/Master in merchant navy is the person who holds the ultimate command and responsibility of a vessel. Hence the Merchant Navy Captain salary is also really high.
The rank of Captain/Master is the senior-most position onboard a ship in merchant navy. It is a job that requires one to be extremely cautious and careful as the responsibility of the multi-million dollar ship/cargo and the lives of 20 – 22 people are on their shoulders. Therefore they get paid the highest salary of all other officers onboard. In some cases, the Chief Engineer gets paid the same amount or even more than the Captain/Master in unusual cases. In this blog, we will write about the average salary of a Captain/Master in different types of vessels.
Merchant Navy Captain Salary in Different Types of Vessels
The amount of salary that a Master/Captain gets paid depends a lot on the type of vessel that they are sailing in. Captains/Masters sailing on tankers make a lot more than those sailing on container ships and bulk carriers. Similarly, Captains/Masters sailing on LNG and LPG tankers are paid the most and are in an entirely different league as they make close to 19000$ per month!
Merchant Navy Captain Salary in LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) Tanker
As the name suggests LNG tankers carry liquified natural gas and compressed natural gas. It is a highly sophisticated vessel known for its latest technology and high operational difficulty. Since it carries really high-value cargo therefore the salaries are also high in this type of vessel. The Captain of an LNG tanker gets paid around 16000$ – 18000$ per month.
Merchant Navy Captain Salary in LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) Tanker
LPG tankers carry liquified petroleum gas such as butane, propane, butadiene, propylene, etc. Seafarers working onboard LPG Tankers get paid really high salaries as the machinery is really complicated onboard LPG tankers and the risk involved is also greater. A Master/Captain sailing on LPG tankers gets paid around 14000$ – 16000$.
Merchant Navy Captain Salary in Chemical Tanker
Chemical tankers are designed to carry chemicals such as palm oil, vegetable oil, tallow, methanol, caustic soda, etc. Even chemical tankers offer some of the highest salaries among all types of vessels in Merchant Navy. The Captain/Master of a Chemical tanker is paid a monthly salary of around 13000$ – 15000$.
Merchant Navy Captain Salary in Product Carrier
Product carriers carry clean petroleum products such as gasoline, naphtha, etc. Captains/Masters sailing on product carriers get paid around 11000$ – 14000$ per month.
Merchant Navy Captain Salary in Crude Oil Tanker
Crude oil tankers transport unrefined crude oil. Seafarers sailing on crude oil tankers get paid a moderately lower amount of salary compared to other tankers. The Master/Captain of a crude oil tanker earns around 11000$ – 14000$ per month.
Captain’s Salary in Container Ship
Container ships are among the largest vessels sailing on the sea, they are basically used to transport manufactured goods such as machinery, furniture, motor/ military vehicles, footwear, garments, etc. Seafarers sailing on container ships are paid relatively lesser salaries compared to tankers. Captains/Masters sailing on container ships are paid in the range of 8000$ – 10000$ per month.
Captain’s Salary in Bulk Carrier
Bulk carriers carry unpackaged dry goods having a high weight-to-cost ratio, such as coal, grain, and ore. Salaries onboard bulk carriers are also relatively low compared to tankers as the workload is less onboard dry bulk ships. The Captain/Master gets paid around 8000$ – 10000$ per month onboard bulk carriers.
The wages earned by seafarers onboard different types of vessels vary from company to company. Above we have given an average figure that is paid by most companies in the industry to the Captains/Masters sailing onboard their vessels. However, there are some companies that pay unusually high salaries to seafarers.
These are mostly Ownership companies that pay much higher salaries compared to ship management companies. The facilities provided by these ownership companies are also of a much higher standard compared to the management companies. However, the promotions are really slow in ownership companies because of which many seafarers do switch over to management companies where the promotions are much faster.
The salary of a Captain/Master also increases with experience. A person sailing for the first time as the Captain/Master of a vessel gets paid a much lesser amount compared to a Captain/Master sailing on his 4th or 5th vessel as a Captain/Master. The job of a Captain is not an easy one. It is an extremely hectic and stressful job as they have a huge responsibility on their shoulders. They rightfully earn every dollar of their lucrative salary onboard the ship.
Salary of a Merchant Navy captain
The salary of a Merchant Navy captain varies depending on several factors, such as the type of ship they are commanding, their experience, and the shipping company they work for. Generally, the salary of a Merchant Navy captain is quite high due to the level of responsibility and expertise required for the job. Here is a general overview of the salary range for Merchant Navy captains:
Once you complete a Merchant Navy course, you can work in various roles on board a ship, such as an engineer, deck officer, or captain. The Merchant Navy Captain Salary varies depending on several factors, such as the type of ship they are commanding, their experience, and the shipping company they work for. Generally, the salary of a Merchant Navy captain is quite high due to the level of responsibility and expertise required for the job. Here is a general overview of the salary range for Merchant Navy captains:
- In India, the starting salary for a Merchant Navy captain is around Rs. 3-4 lakhs per month (approximately $4,000 – $5,400 USD).
- With experience, a Merchant Navy captain can earn a salary of Rs. 6-8 lakhs per month (approximately $8,000 – $10,800 USD) or more.
- In other countries such as the UK or the USA, the salary of a Merchant Navy captain is generally higher, with the starting salary ranging from £60,000 – £100,000 (approximately $83,000 – $139,000 USD) per year, and experienced captains earning upwards of £150,000 (approximately $209,000 USD) per year.
Thank you praneet sir , for your great efforts for providing all these information’s
You are most welcome, Ganesh.
7415968361
Please name some companies which offers round the year salary.
Hi,
Shell, Chevron, British Petroleum and many more.
Team Merchant Navy Decoded.
Sir do a seafarer can get more than 20k dollar.
Salary of a Seafarer can vary ship to ship and mostly depends on experience and position of a seafarer, for instance a Captain on LNG or LPG Carrier can earn up to 19,000$ per month. If you want to get exact information about the salary you can call on 7417349336.