Has anyone read this article? https://www.wsj.com/business/logistics/big-paychecks-cant-woo-enough-sailors-for-americas-commercial-fleet-e40c422e?st=z9GgyT&reflink=article_copyURL_share
It’s interesting that the article interviewed KP cadets. No disrespect to them, but most haven’t actually sailed in real commercial operations, haven’t held the con on a working ship, and haven’t lived the lifestyle long enough to understand what the workforce shortage is truly about.
The bigger problem is that even within the government agencies that rely on mariners, there’s a huge lack of awareness about what the job actually demands. People who never lived the lifestyle often reduce it to “good pay, free food, travel,” without understanding the real cost.
Sailing isn’t just a job — it’s a lifestyle change. A massive one.
Long months away from home, relationships under strain, missing everything on shore, irregular schedules, and the stress that comes with being responsible for a ship, crew, cargo, and compliance.
What’s wild is that coming off active duty orders, you can realistically make more money in military service than sailing commercially — and you get:
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full healthcare
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BAS/BH tax advantages
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VA benefits
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stable retirement points
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predictable schedules
Stack that against commercial sailing, and the math stops making sense.
Being a Chief Mate or senior deck officer is extremely stressful, and while $200k might look great on a spreadsheet, half of that gets taxed, and the lifestyle costs are brutal. Plus, unless you’re with MSC, you don’t get part-time options, shore benefits, or anything that helps build a normal life.
The job itself isn’t the problem — it’s everything that comes with it.
The instability, the months away, the strain on family life, the lack of support systems, and unions that can’t apply real leverage because of how the system classifies us.
If leadership in the industry genuinely stood on business, listened to mariners who have actually done the job, and addressed the real lifestyle costs instead of talking points, we’d have a much healthier workforce pipeline.