Mariner Pay 2025: Limited License Companies

Professional Mariner Forum
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A new year, a new pay survey. I say ‘limited license’ companies because I’m mostly interested in companies that don’t require all unlimited licenses. e.g.: tugs, many OSV, fishing boats, etc.

Because there are so many ways a mariner can get pay, I encourage posters to break the confusion of overtime etc. down into a typical, all-in day-rate, if possible.

I’ll go first:
Coastal Transportation Inc.: Operates Aleutian Trade act fish tenders (essentially, refrigerated coastal freighters). The median pay shown here are numerical medians, which skews toward the mariners with the highest seniority. Because of longevity raises, an officer with 20-30 years employment makes much more for the same job than a new-hire.

Deck license are typically 1600-tons/3000-ton fishing, but on some boats 500-ton is ok. Other than this, the size of the license and schooling have no bearing on pay. (CTI does have several people with unlimited licenses.)

Captains Numerical Median 1025/day
No starting pay given as all captains are all promoted from within.

Chief Engineer Numerical Median 817
Most chiefs have a DDE license.

Chief Mate: Top pay is about the same as lower-tenure captains.
Numerical Median Pay 809

Second Mate High 766 day*
Numerical Median 651/day
Entry level, green, no AK experience: 550 day
(*Note: ‘Second mate’ doesn’t refer to the specific license. It is just the ‘other mate’ aboard. Most voyages here don’t legally require two mates to be aboard, but company policy encourages it. The two mates aboard may each have 20-years with the company, and each make more than the captain does. More often, an experienced mate is paired with a less experienced mate, and there is quite a difference in how much each makes.)

AB High 555/day
Numerical Median 480
Entry level, green, no AK experience 360

401k: company matches 36.5% on whatever employee contributes.
Company pays for airfare.

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105k a year. I work a day boat ship assist tug so I can home every night and see my family the pay is ass I work everyday. I miss the hitch work I hate it… but I get to be present everyday for my kids. But I hate it rant over.

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Thanks. About how many days a year do your work?

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A lot

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Curtin-Maritime-Employee-Journey-Roles-Pay-Map-2024-4.pdf (985.0 KB)

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Thanks.

This is exactly the kind of info we all need to see posted for as many companies as possible.

It benefits mariners - a rising tide lifts all boats.

It benefits companies too, especially those that have fallen behind and are having trouble crewing.

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Those companies lagging behind the pay wages might not feel it benefits them all that much :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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I posted these in a different thread last year.

This is the Reinauer Contract for all Union crew through July of 27.

Edit- those rates do not include an additional $50 per day for travel.

[Album] RTC collective bargaining agreement through 6/2027
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Officially starting tomorrow at Callan (Dredging and Marine Construction), onboarding process just finished today. I can post what I’m promised in contract, but for sure I’ll update as the paystubs come in.

OS deckhand II @ $22/hr + $35 Overtime rate (time and a half) at 84 hours/week. In addition, an option between $35 per diem allowance for food and expenses with lodging paid for by company, or $85 per diem allowance with lodging paid by you. Can only switch between one or the other once, so choose carefully.

All total, from my calculations, assuming weekend overtime rate applies, this grosses to just under $9000/month, or a bit over if you save your allowance prudently. Essentially a $300 day rate, give or take pretax and pre-benny and contributions amount. Including those though, I’m going to assume…somewhere around $6.5k net/month.

Cant say that I can complain about that.

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Maybe not at first, but it will show them why they are having problems with recruitment and retention. It will benefit them in the long run.

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I’ve seen ads on LinkedIn from Vane that they just gave everyone big raises. Not sure to what extent but I know a mate there who claims he is in the 7-800 range there. He is a known bullshitter though so who knows…

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I’ve heard the same with captains around 1k

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Nothing has changed at ECO for officers since 2022.

Master/ChEng 1k
CM 850
Mate 650
Assistant Eng. 850

Maybe a little more on specialty vessels (50$)

And about 100$ more on GOVT vessels.

Can’t speak for the tug rates or unlicensed as they did see a bump in the last year.

Benefit premiums have increased each year. Travel pay remains the same @ 400 per hitch( max distance from office) with is taxed and 401k deducted. Barely covers one way of travel.

Yearly Bonus remains at 100 dollars per year worked.

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No raises in over two years, that’s at least a 20% pay cut after inflation.

Obviously , there is no shortage of mariners

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What’s the match on the 401K now?

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50 cents on the dollar up to 8 percent. Once a year every spring, so I’d imagine if you quit before then you lose out on the match. Not a fan of yearly matches. Would rather see it per paycheck.

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I wonder how much the tug guys are making on there navy contracts

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Plenty of money whores at ECO that like doing straight time and/or working over. They are running lean like everyone else but manage to squeek by.

The escort tugs in alaska, the OSV rates in the gulf mirror their rates for the most part.

The smaller tugs in alaska are less than 300 grt and non-solas, so licensing requirements are less than the escorts therefore the pay rates reflect that. 800ish master, high 600s chief mate, chief engineer 800ish, low 600s second mate. ABs on the escorts and smaller tugs make low to mid 400s, which I’ve heard is more than ABs get in the gulf. The rate may change depending if the AB is OSV, special, Limited or unlimited too. Not sure.

The tugs on navy contracts and LNG contracts, i know they don’t have licensed engineers and the captains and mates make significantly less than alaska.

There’s also senority pay at ECO but that doesn’t start kicking in till at least 5 years of employment.

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If we had any brain cells, the engineers at Chouest would sign MEBA pledge cards! There I said it…fight me! lol

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Expect a knock on your door. :joy::joy: