# 3A/E pay 2025? **URL:** \ **Category:** Engineering\ **Created:** [September 15, 2025, 11:39am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385 "2025-09-15T11:39:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JMars01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d9b06d/32.png) [@JMars01](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/JMars01)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2025, 11:39am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/1 "2025-09-15T11:39:20Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Newmate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@Newmate](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Newmate)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/2 "2025-09-15T11:50:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ShooterMcGavin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/shootermcgavin/32/1756_2.png) [@ShooterMcGavin](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ShooterMcGavin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2025, 12:03pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/3 "2025-09-15T12:03:54Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![10yearcadet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/4491bb/32.png) [@10yearcadet](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/10yearcadet)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 12:18am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/4 "2025-09-16T00:18:23Z")
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](https://forum.gcaptain.com/uploads/short-url/2ZXK2KohMrzzcUEDwIx0vHkgWnz.pdf) (861.0 KB) [MSC Engineering Officer Pay Estimates.xlsx](https://forum.gcaptain.com/uploads/short-url/dPW08DpCo0uLv78vbORhzpjyQUo.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 ---
**Author:** ![Newmate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@Newmate](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Newmate)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/6 "2025-09-16T11:50:09Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![10yearcadet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/4491bb/32.png) [@10yearcadet](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/10yearcadet)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/7 "2025-09-16T17:55:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![10yearcadet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/4491bb/32.png) [@10yearcadet](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/10yearcadet)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 1:22am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/8 "2025-09-17T01:22:40Z")
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](https://forum.gcaptain.com/uploads/short-url/fn08Jbw62MYYPqqeilKAGdWmh6s.xlsx) (201.4 KB) ---
**Author:** ![jimrr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jimrr/32/38358_2.png) [@jimrr](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jimrr)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 1:45am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/10 "2025-09-21T01:45:19Z")
you can also sell your soul to mfow, not quite as brutal as the mafia but damn good !! ---
**Author:** ![jimrr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jimrr/32/38358_2.png) [@jimrr](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jimrr)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/3a-e-pay-2025/73385/11 "2025-09-21T01:50:24Z")
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 !!