It’s far too early for you to have any firm plans.
What’s that old adage? Battle plans are only valid until the first enemy contact?
Sail, experience a variety of different things, don’t plan to get married or have kids until you are at least 35.
3 Likes
And then spend that $500k getting an actual useful degree (no sorry, Marine Transportation doesn’t count) over another 4 years of being unemployed.
If you want a normal life, drop out now and go to a state school for Accounting.
2 Likes
A bit of truth, I spent $160k on my MBA
I do this job because I hate working. Six months at home and I work OSV’s so the 6 month I’m at work I spend playing on the Internet waiting for the rig to call me in. I might do 2 to 3 hours of actual work outside of driving the boat or messing with the DP console.
6 Likes
Are these rates the same as the Tote ships that run to Alaska or Puerto Rico?
No. Different pay scales.
To give OP a data point, I would gauge this as “Mean Highwater” for AMO. I know these ARC ships just got a big bump when they realized they couldn’t keep anyone, but most of AMO is probably within 10k/yr / $20/day of these numbers. I also heard they are down to 70 day trips/1 round trip, which is pretty rad.
Who knows what the gulf will look like in 6 years, but the AMO contract will be at least that much. MMP is a bit higher, but if there is a downturn you’re fighting for jobs, Take your PIC to AMO and get as much experience as you can, especially on tankers, and then there are a number of shoreside gigs you can move to with some creativity. Shit’s so wacky right now you can probably get promoted as fast as you can upgrade your license in AMO and if not, at least you’re not in the hall to get work. Just don’t let lifestyle creep get you caught in golden handcuffs, Dual Income families can still live comfortably on shoreside incomes.
1 Like
I would say this is on the low side of normal for the new contracts. The only contracts I’ve seen lower than this are ones that haven’t been renegotiated yet since last fall.
1 Like
Yes, I agree, by the time this dude graduates this will be on the up and up, but most of the contracts I’ve been thinking of were those negotiated last year. Like Liberty got a pretty decent bump and I saw 45 Day trips, but not catching up with the tankers yet, but I haven’t seen that job go the board since then, understandably, that sounds fantastic for them. This screenshot is the highest contract I’ve seen, and knowing AMO is bringing this to other companies I absolutely hope this is the lower end of the new contracts.
What does Ben Base mean?
It’s your daily benefit rate, So while you’re onboard you get your base, and then upon sign off you send your paperwork to the union and they pay out your benefit base in the form of a vacation check. This contract in particular is really good because everyone is 30/30, some contracts the junior officers are around 22/30, meaning for every 30 days you get 22 daily benefit days. If this contract were 22/30, that would be a difference of about $60/day if my math is correct.
1 Like
They have a hiring bonus too, I think. You make a pile of money the day you start. People bash MSC, but I loved it. The work is interesting, the money good, advancement, lots of time in good ports, good people, but boy they work you hard. Hard to get relieved, but if you are young and working a five year plan, its a great place to start. When I did it years ago, the time counted towards an MMP book, so I left with my A book and sailed a little commercial. If you live near a port, you can make a living, or at least supplement by Night Hawking and not have to sail. watch your kids grow up and keep that book current in case plans change.
1 Like
It’s the pay your vacation benefits, Defined Contribution Pension contributions, and Money Purchase Benefit contributions are based off of.
They’re trying to make all new contracts 30/30 for all positions and as far as I can tell they’re succeeding.
3 Likes
The quick answer to your question @Sailor22 is to apply to Polar Tankers as a third for 165k a year because you have a PIC (I assume you’re talking about tanker PIC). Good company & Alaska is cool - literally and figuratively:
By the way if you are graduating a state school with an unlimited license stop saying you have GMDSS/VSO/RADAR. You sound very stupid. Those are graduation requirements. FRB and Tanker/Medical PIC are unique, worth mentioning.
Anywhere from 60k to 180k. If you’re looking for the $$, there are plenty jobs at or above 140k.
2 Likes
Is that a graduation requirement of all academies now?
1 Like
Good company - very little upward movement.
2 Likes
They seem to be to make the contracts look better but in reality it doesn’t matter. All that matters is your annual pay, they move the numbers around to make it equal the annual projected salary. Of the contracts I’ve seen more than not the 22/30 contracts pay more or the same overall. What people miss is the 22/30 contracts usually have a larger benefit pay number which is important since one of the retirement funds contribution is a percentage of that amount. So they get more towards their retirement than the 30/30’s.
Vacation days count as days towards retirement.
I’m just saying because vacation rate is 30/30, doesn’t mean it’s better pay. I always tell the new guys to read the whole contract and run the numbers. Some people seem to get very excited about a 30/30 vacation rate. My last contract was 22/30, similar annual pay as my current thats 30/30, but more money was contributed to retirement since the benefit number was much larger on the 22/30 contract. If they switched to 30/30 in the next contract negotiations they would definitely take the benefit number down.
1 Like