Starting Salary

[vulcan_hell]

Hi folks.

Been having a look around Google for average starting salaries for newly qualified deck/engine officers but they seem to vary depending on website. Companies and job search facilities tend not to advertise this at all. Does anyone have any figures or personal experience that you don't mind sharing as to a typical starting salary?

[thomaslambert]

Re: Starting Salary

everything ive read is around the 24000 range mate. is it the same for you?

[Naaatan]

Re: Starting Salary

everything ive read is around the 24000 range mate. is it the same for you?

I concur.

[MEJG]

Re: Starting Salary

everything ive read is around the 24000 range mate. is it the same for you?

and that's tax free!

Gawd i love this career

[north_sea_ninja]

Re: Starting Salary

Get yourself offshore!

Best money except the gas tankers for the time you do.

Our 2/O's (no thirds on our ships) start on 32k. If you can get yourself some dynamic positioning quals then you can make serious cash, it's not unknown for seconds to make upwards of 40k if dp qualified.
Plus you'll be on equal time ie 4weeks on/off 6 or 8 even.

[Beef1992]

Re: Starting Salary

we had a meeting with my company and they said the our starting salary is 6-7k dollars a month but i take it this is only when on ship.

[steamer]

Re: Starting Salary

What company is that with?

[penfold]

Re: Starting Salary

we had a meeting with my company and they said the our starting salary is 6-7k dollars a month but i take it this is only when on ship.

I would think that will be only when onboard.

[Malim Sahib]

Re: Starting Salary

Get yourself offshore!

Best money except the gas tankers for the time you do.

Our 2/O's (no thirds on our ships) start on 32k. If you can get yourself some dynamic positioning quals then you can make serious cash, it's not unknown for seconds to make upwards of 40k if dp qualified.
Plus you'll be on equal time ie 4weeks on/off 6 or 8 even.

Offshore is an acquired taste it has to be said. I did a few trips at it on AHTS/Supply and it wasn't for me.
North Sea/North Atlantic in winter is not fun on a 100m long ship, nor is lassoing boys, running anchors or working supply where one minute you're up to your waist in water amongst lots of 10' containers whilst trying to hook on the same, and the next minute you're flying skyward towards a rather evil looking crane hook. The paperwork/safety nonsense side of it has got much worse in recent years too, all of it filtering down from the charterers - i.e. the oil companies.
Getting into DP is notoriously difficult, there's plenty of jobs out there but everyone wants experience and full certification so there's a catch 22, hence why the wages are so high - the companies have to poach people from other outfits. Yes it all sounds so easy, but in practice its actually pretty difficult unless you're with one of the few outfits willing to put you through your DP ticket
32k is a decent wage for starting in the North Sea, but for a lot of companies you're looking at almost 10k less as 2/O.
I've spent most of my seagoing career on ships running around the tropics and I must say there's something rather nice about being able to sit outside in your deckchair at 0800 every morning with a cup of tea and bacon sarnie whilst watching the world go by, all the time knowing you're actually going somewhere, not just doing Aberdeen-Rig-Aberdeen-Rig-Bergen-Aberden-Rig etc.
I'm not a fan of short trips/leaves either, I work 3 months on/off at the moment and for me that's perfect - only doing 3 months away is a doddle and 3 months off in one go is great.
Like I said it wasn't for me - the weather, paperwork, long hours and personally I found it intolerably dull.

[north_sea_ninja]

Re: Starting Salary

I suppose it depends on your own situation really.

I'm engaged and have a little one as well, and to be honest 6 on 6 off suits. True enough it can get a little repetitive, but for me the extra cash will be both needed and welcome when I finish next year. The other half will only tolerate being the main breadwinner for so long! Lol

On the DP front, again you're right enough, can be difficult to get into, especially dive support, but I've saved and scrounged enough to pay the 2400 quid for both courses myself, meaning I will have unlimited dp at the end of this sea phase (my last before orals).

Each to their own, but it's an area which still actively seeks Brit seafarers, in an ever dwindling job Market (for those on 1st world wages at least). And as to the weather... Yeah it is ****e, nothing further on that!

[secondmate]

Re: Starting Salary

Wow now thats more like a thread....

It is so variable its unbelievable is this industry.

The worst pay rates seem to be on Standby Vessels, Northstar rings a bell or Boston Putfords (when they existed) were really bad, like less than 20k as 2nd mate. However some pay rates are unreal like doing DP as someone mentioned or working on LNG gas ships. ?300/day whilst onboard is not uncommon for a well trained and experiences DPO.

However it all depends on loads of things, for example.. A 3rd mate in my company (cal mac) with a couple of years experience earns ?36k, plus all sorts of benifits such as a final salary pension scheme, 12 months sick pay, full paid study leave ( best in industy at senior officer level) and paid milage to work. Oh and is only away 22 weeks a year, alongside every night for a beer and always in phone and internet range of uk!

Ok I pay full tax and NI, however if you earn similar deep sea in net terms after tax you still have to pay the tax and claim it back IF you have the sea time. What if you are sick, if the ship dry docks in the UK? You wont be happy to earn ?28k gross and net and then have to pay the tax and end up with less than a Mcdonalds manager.


A realistic figure for someone just qualified is probably after tax about ?24k about ?2k every month after tax. Rising to Around Double that within ten years depending on aptitude and commitment

[chris]

Re: Starting Salary

any idea what ETOs can make?

[Beef1992]

Re: Starting Salary

i dont know but brendan lee , collin smith and trevor torbett . always wrote the rank list down as

Cheif
2E
3E
4e
ETO so i guess starting salary same as 4e/3e and senior eto say 2/E but to be honest i dont know

[Malim Sahib]

Re: Starting Salary

On most ships a fully qualified ETO is either a 2 1/2 striper or 3 striper and generally earn a wage halfway between 3/E and 2/E. On cargo ships/oil tankers this is generally in the high 30s - but remember newly qualified leckies normally don't get this straight away.
Once their training is complete most will start as a Junior ETO (1 stripe) and will earn the same as a 4th or thereabouts, then maybe a year or two later might get up upto 2 strips and possibly 3 (if the company does that),

[chris]

Re: Starting Salary

cheers for the info