I’m a cadet right now. My school has stated that I can expect to make about 80-90k coming in as a fresh 3rd engineer. This seems a bit lower than what I expected reading some posts around here for mates. Do engineers make that much less than mates? Is this accurate? What can a fresh grad 3A/E realistically expect to make these days?
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80-90k is a little low, but not too far off. I’d say its closer to 100-130k if you sail on an unlimited tonnage ship and work at least 180 days.
If you’re really all about chasing money, sell your soul to MSC. 3 A/E signing bonus is 56k for a 3 year commitment. You wont work 180 days, you’ll work 270-365 straight. But you’ll make more money if that’s what you’re after.
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I talked to a buddy of mine at AMO who said they were in talks to bump the wages for a 3 A/E to $150,000 (tanker outfit.)
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Current 3AE on a Tanker for MSC. Here are my Salary Estimate Calculations for a year.
Note, Kaiser Class tankers (187-204) are Duty/Day work Boats (D)
John Lewis Class tankers(205+) are Watch Standing (W)
Assumptions:
The Ship never Sails (difficult to calculate time out, overtime earned during Un-reps, and Overtime rate night Differential for 30 days after sail)
You work every day onboard, including Fed holidays
You do not work any extra overtime (outside of Weekends & Holidays)
Your pay follows CMPI 610
CMPI-610-USER-GUIDE-Sept13.pdf (861.0 KB)
MSC Engineering Officer Pay Estimates.xlsx (150.6 KB)
Also Note that these are Pre-Tax numbers.
Take-home can vary from 40-60% of calculated numbers due to Federal/State Taxes, retirement contributions, health insurance, and any other Deductions
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Im taking that as $205,000 a year? Thats for how many days a year? So we can get an estimated day rate. Because $205,000/365 days = $561.64 which is acceptable but you would be a ship indentured servant which is not good, but even time $205,000/182.5 = $1,123.28 a day which is bangin for a 3rd!
I’d guess its closer to 270-300 days worked which is still good money for a 3 A/E. That would be a $683-760 day rate. No one at MSC, on the government operated side, works even time. There’s a reason they are still offering such a high signing bonus while the rest of the industry has dialed back hiring.
I will say when you factor in pension and TSP match, the numbers for MSC aren’t bad. It’s the schedule, inconsistency, and government work attitude that pushes most people out.
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So, all my calculations were based on a full year 365 days onboard. Its harder to plan vacation, cause its dependant on when you take leave (which fed holidays you miss working)
3AEs currently are offered a retention bonus of 30% of base pay (2nd chart)
The first chart was without retention bonus
And note that these are estimates and can vary. Im currently on track for 230k-240k this year with all the extra overtime., but the fed pay cap will probably kick in at 195k, which just pushes all the money over the top to the first paycheck of the new year.
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I Apologize, Everyone, I made a Mistake with my estimates, mainly with the
Day/Duty engineer pay. I accidentally used the Watch-standing Engineer rate instead of the Day/Duty Engineer Rate. Here Is the revised estimates.
I also Added an estimated day rate at the bottom.
MSC Engineering Officer Pay Estimates.xlsx (201.4 KB)
you can also sell your soul to mfow, not quite as brutal as the mafia but damn good !!
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you’d make bank here on 10 yr. cadet’s post…………. AND anything over 8 hrs. is over time, and anything over a 40 hr week is overtime, AND when you stay aboard inport to watch the gensets or shore power, that’s “stby time” ………… you’ll do great !!
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