# Average pay question **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [October 3, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263 "2011-10-03T07:52:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Veit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@Veit](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Veit)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/1 "2011-10-03T07:52:22Z")
So i’m having a very difficult time finding an average pay for OS, AB, and Captain. Also the engineering rates. So quite simply what is the average daily pay for an OS or AB, captain more out of curiosity since thats a long way away for me. Also for engineering department. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 9:05am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/2 "2011-10-03T09:05:26Z")
I’d suggest the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A pdf file[Water Transportation Occupations is here.](http://www.bls.gov/oco/pdf/ocos247.pdf) [A table from BLS with the same info is here](http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag483.htm) ---
**Author:** ![brjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@brjones](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/brjones)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 9:49am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/3 "2011-10-03T09:49:38Z")
I can tell you that you can almost double whatever the average pay is for mates and engineers. Those surveys don’t take into account OT or vacation pay. A person can make more in OT than regular wages. All the deep sea ships I worked have the same pay scale for mates and engineers, with captain being the highest paid. However captains and chiefs don’t get as much OT. Most ships I have been on, the first engineer walks away with the most money because of the OT he gets ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Phoenix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/capt_phoenix/32/281_2.png) [@Capt\_Phoenix](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 11:17am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/4 "2011-10-03T11:17:14Z")
If you want real answers you need to specify what type of boat and what region of the country… ---
**Author:** ![cappy208](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@cappy208](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/cappy208)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/5 "2011-10-03T12:36:01Z")
> [@"Capt. Schmitt"](#): > > If you want real answers you need to specify what type of boat and what region of the country… In addition, many different companies, industries and even locales have different work schedules, and base wages. Throw into this the difference between some different boats at the same company! To get a number you can compare you need to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Generally an introductory deckhands wage would be in the vicinity of 35,000. Sometimes as low as 30,000, possibly as high as 45,000. More or less. In some areas the wage would be more, in some less. But there are variables such as healthcare, 401k, paid training among others. At your point, just go out and beat the docks for a job. Take ANY job you can get. Once you get more experience then you will be easier hireable at another company. Another issue is work schedule. Some companies work even time. Some work uneven time. This means you may work either one month on/one month off. Or two months on/one month off. So you can see that at some companies you willbe working 6 months a year. But at others you will work 8 or 9 months a year. So you have to do the math to see how well you are actually doing. Some guys who are young don’t mind working a lot, with no family life love working uneven time. That would be up to you. ---
**Author:** ![Bayrunner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/bayrunner/32/966_2.png) [@Bayrunner](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Bayrunner)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/6 "2011-10-03T20:12:00Z")
Some companies very from port to port. My company pays OSs in new york almost 80 a day more than the ABs in Norfolk!! WTF? ---
**Author:** ![JP1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jp1/32/90_2.png) [@JP1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/JP1)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/7 "2011-10-09T03:24:52Z")
I haven;t worked as an AB since the late 1990’s but back then I worked for SeaRiver starting in 1990. I was making about $60,000/year. That was pretty much working just mandatory overtime. I could have asked for overtime and made about $80,000/year. That was working 48 days off for 60 days on. They had excellent benefits. I don;t know for sure but I bet they’re even better to work for now. If I had to go back to being a deckhand, I would try my best to get on a deep sea ship for one of the companies like SeaRiver, Chevron or whoever Arco turned into! They have company unions with work rules, unlike the limited tonnage vessels which can and will work you til you drop and not much benefits to you for all that effort! ---
**Author:** ![Louis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@Louis](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Louis)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/8 "2011-10-09T06:23:56Z")
1600 master-500-580/day- 1600 mate-350/day - ab-250-270/day - o/s-150-185/day ch.eng- 500-580/day - wiper-180-185 - qmed/oiler- 250-255 on the anchor boats it could be a little more depending on knowledge and work. ---
**Author:** ![orlandocorral](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/5daacb/32.png) [@orlandocorral](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/orlandocorral)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/9 "2011-10-11T00:58:06Z")
Those surveys don’t take into account OT or vacation pay. ![](http://www.aasseenontv.com/jh.jpg) ![](http://www.aasseenontv.com/az.jpg) ![](http://www.aasseenontv.com/ht.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![cappy208](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@cappy208](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/cappy208)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:25am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/average-pay-question/6263/10 "2011-10-11T06:25:07Z")
That’s because some places don’t have OT, or vacation pay. Some places have a piddling amount of OT. Some places pay lower, but have paid travel. Some have a better 401k %. To ME it is about the daily rate. I want as much in my pocket as I can get. Plus a decent 401k%. I only want a bunch of cash going home for Momma to pay the bills. Hopefully there will be some left when I get there for the necessities ( beer, cigars). But I can’t see trading the bottom line for less. Maybe in a couple years I will change my mind. This is why it is hard to quantify pay for a new entry into the industry.