2026 Mariners' Pay: Limited License

Professional Mariner Forum
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A new year, a new pay survey. Contribute to the best source for actual mariner’s pay found anywhere on the internet. What makes it accurate? Posters list only pay they actually know to be true, as opposed to secondhand info and rumors.

By ‘limited license’ I mean tugs, many OSV, fishing boats, etc.

Please break the pay down into a typical, all-in day-rate including ATO, overtime, etc. Annual salaries mean nothing if number of days worked are not included.

I’ll go first…
Coastal Transportation Inc.: Operates Aleutian Trade Act fish tenders (essentially, refrigerated coastal freighters).

Minimum license needed: 1600-tons/3000-tons fishing. On some boats 500-ton license is ok.

Pay shown here are averages-per-day, based on years of employment with company.

Captain: 20+ years $1132. Others $1,000.

Chief Mate: 20+ years $1,000. 10-19 years $907. Others $855.

Second Mate: doesn’t require a ‘Second Mate’ license. The second mate is just the other mate on the boat. They might be a regular CTI mate at $1,000/day. Or, they may be a complete greenhorn, in which case $610/day.

ABs: 10 years+ $551. 3-9 years $500. Entry level, no experience $420.

OS/Wipers (no credentials): Average $361.Entry level $310.

Cooks (no credentials): Average $407. Entry level, no experience $310. With AB endorsement, $50 extra.

401k: company matches 36.5% on whatever employee contributes.

Travel: Company pays for airfare.

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Not even going to waste my time posting ECOs wages because they haven’t changed since 2022, but don’t worry, the kids are living the high life constantly hunting, fishing, and yachting all over social media.

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How much do ABs make at ECO?

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375-ish

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I don’t think it would be a waste to repost the wages for all positions again here

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Harbor assist day boat:

Capt 780 a day

Deckhand 500 a day

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Low 400s a day on the valdez contract. Gov’t fleet ABs may be around that mark too.

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I’ve posted this a few times but here are Reinauer’s rates through June of 27, there is an additional $50 per day on the boat for travel. It applies to all positions other than OS.

[Album] RTC collective bargaining agreement through 6/2027
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Nothing has changed at ECO for officers since 2022.

Master/ChEng 1k
CM 850
Mate 650
Assistant Eng. 850

AB 350-400

OS 225-275

Maybe a little more on specialty vessels (50$)

And about 100$ more on GOVT vessels.

Can’t speak for the tug rates or unlicensed as they did see a bump in the last year.

Benefit premiums have increased each year. Travel pay remains the same @ 400 per hitch( max distance from office) with is taxed and 401k deducted. Barely covers one way of travel.

Yearly Bonus remains at 100 dollars per year worked.

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This right here is probably one of my biggest annoyances and It’s a constant gripe from my crew. You forgot to mention that it’s calculated “as the crow flies,” so the folks that live in Tampa but work out of Fourchon get the shaft.

If they don’t make changes to that whole “travel pay” mess fairly soon, they’re going to start really losing people and not be able to bring in folks from anywhere other than the bayou. Flights are getting more and more expensive, and other companies are covering door-to-door. :man_shrugging:t3:

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Hasn’t that always been their goal anyway? How does their 401k match stack up now?

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.50 on the dollar up to 8 percent. Matched once a year in the spring which is also a scam.

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Since the match isn’t guaranteed it is a pig in a poke. But it is their plantation.

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Anyone care to share what the pay scale is at Dunlap Towing?

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Anyone know what the payscale is on Kirby ATBs these days?

A year ago, according to this forum, they were making between $737/day and $696 ($613 for second mates), and between $411 and $384 for ABs.

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Poling n Cutler day rates…

Captains: 875

Mates w/PIC: 737

Mates: 710

Licensed Engineer: 737

Unlicensed Engineer: 729

AB: 420

OS: 340

And the tankerman scale is in the mid 500’s I believe. I asked a few of them and none of them knew their exact day rate which completely blows my mind.

Most of the company works 14/14 and a few do 21/21. There is almost always opportunity for OT, but it is paid out at straight day rates.

We get the usual health/vision/dental, 401k with I believe a 3% match plus a 5% discretionary deposit once a year.

They only pay for travel if we crew change outside of New York and since I live in Florida this is not an insignificant expense. But I like it there enough that I keep doing it.

They are a small company with 6 boats. I’ve worked enough other places to know that PnC’s issues are no better or worse than anywhere else, just a different variety. The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence, but that’s mostly because in tugboating there is no green grass :joy:

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Thanks for the great info. What kind of work does the company do mostly?

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We move oil and gas for the most part. And one of the boats will do the occasional assist job.

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Does that refer to work outside of your normal rotation?

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Poling and Cutler is Local 333/MMP, right?

Oh how I can get lost dreaming about living in a care free world where I don’t know nor need to know how much money I am making, like your tankermen.

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