Merchant Navy Salary UK 2026: Pay by Rank from Cadet to Captain

What merchant navy officers and captains earn in the UK, by year and by month, how pay rises with each certificate of competency from cadet to master, and how the Seafarers' Earnings Deduction works in general terms.

By Tony Musso on Mon Jul 20 2026

Merchant navy officers in the UK typically earn £30,000 to £40,000 once they finish a cadetship and qualify as a third officer or third engineer, £45,000 to £60,000 as experienced officers, and £70,000 to £100,000 or more at the most senior ranks. Ship captains (masters) earn £45,000 to £60,000 early in command, £70,000 to £90,000 with experience and £100,000 to £180,000 or more at the top.

Those ranges come from our merchant navy officer and ship captain career data. This guide explains how merchant navy pay works rank by rank, why it rises each time you gain a new certificate of competency, what cadets receive while they train, and how tax works for seafarers.

Merchant navy salary UK at a glance

Monthly figures are the annual figure divided by 12, before tax, National Insurance and pension.

The officer and captain ranges overlap because pay depends heavily on the company, the type of vessel and where it trades, as well as rank. A senior officer at the top of the officer range can earn more than a master early in command.

Merchant navy ranks explained

Officers on a merchant ship work in two main departments, deck and engine, and each has a clear ladder. You move up a rank by gaining sea time and passing the next Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Certificate of Competency (CoC).

Deck department

• Deck cadet: in training, splitting time between college and sea.
• Third officer: the first qualified rank, holding an Officer of the Watch (OOW) certificate. Keeps a navigational watch on the bridge.
• Second officer: usually the navigating officer, responsible for passage planning and charts.
• Chief officer (chief mate): second in command, runs the deck department, cargo operations and stability. Needs the Chief Mate CoC.
• Master (captain): in overall command of the ship, crew and cargo. Needs the Master CoC.

Engine department

• Engine cadet: in training.
• Third engineer: the first qualified rank, holding an Engineer Officer of the Watch (EOOW) certificate.
• Second engineer: runs the engine room day to day. Needs the Second Engineer CoC.
• Chief engineer: in charge of all machinery and the engine department, equal in standing to the chief officer and reporting to the master. Needs the Chief Engineer CoC.

Many ships also carry an electro-technical officer (ETO), responsible for electrical and electronic systems, with its own certificate route.

How pay rises with each certificate of competency

Merchant navy pay is tied to rank, and rank is tied to certificates. That makes the pay ladder unusually clear: the main way to raise your salary is to gain sea time and pass your next CoC.

• Officer of the watch salary: newly qualified third officers and third engineers sit in the starting band of the officer data, £30,000 to £40,000.
• Second officer and second engineer: experienced officers in our career data earn £45,000 to £60,000.
• Chief officer and chief engineer salary: these are the most senior officers below the master. They sit across the experienced and senior bands, £45,000 to £60,000 and £70,000 to £100,000 or more, depending on the company, vessel and experience. Our career data does not publish a separate figure for each rank, so treat any single "chief officer salary" you see quoted with care.
• Merchant navy captain salary: masters are covered by the ship captain data, from £45,000 to £60,000 in a first command up to £100,000 to £180,000 or more for senior masters.

The time between ranks depends on sea time requirements, how quickly you pass exams and whether your company has a vacancy at the next rank. The ship captain career data puts the route from cadet to master at 10 years or more.

Pay while you train: the cadetship

Most UK officers start through a sponsored cadetship lasting around three to four years. Shipping companies and training providers such as Trinity House, Chiltern Maritime, Clyde Marine Training and SSTG sponsor cadets, who study at colleges such as Warsash, Fleetwood, South Shields or City of Glasgow College and spend sea phases on the sponsor's ships. The government's SMarT funding supports the cost of officer training.

Cadets usually pay no course fees and receive a training allowance from their sponsor rather than a salary. The amount varies between sponsors, so compare offers. At the end you gain your OOW or EOOW certificate and move onto officer pay.

What else affects merchant navy pay

Vessel type and trade. Tankers, gas carriers, container ships, cruise ships, ferries and offshore support vessels all pay differently, and companies set their own scales.

Rotation. Deep-sea officers usually work long trips followed by long leave, while ferry officers often work shorter, regular rotas with more time at home. Pay is usually quoted per year, but how much time you spend at sea for it varies.

Employer and contract. Some UK officers are employed directly by a UK company; others work through crewing agencies on fixed-term contracts. Check whether leave is paid and how pension and travel are handled.

Seafarers' Earnings Deduction

UK-resident seafarers who work on ships outside the UK for long enough may be able to claim the Seafarers' Earnings Deduction, an income tax relief that can take qualifying earnings out of UK income tax. The rules on qualifying days, voyages and time spent in the UK are strict and are set by HMRC, so check the current conditions on GOV.UK before choosing a role on the basis of take-home pay.

Merchant seaman salary: ratings

The figures on this page are for officers. Many seafarers work as ratings, such as able seafarers, motormen, cooks and stewards, who support the officers on deck, in the engine room and in catering. Our career data does not hold a separate rating salary, and pay for ratings is generally lower than for officers. Some ratings later move into officer training.

Is the merchant navy right for you?

Life at sea suits people who can live and work in the same small space for long periods. Deck officers stand watches around the clock, often on a four-hours-on, eight-hours-off pattern, and engineers work in hot, noisy machinery spaces. Internet access can be patchy, and you will miss birthdays and holidays at home. Every seafarer needs to pass an ENG1 medical, and deck officers must meet strict eyesight and colour vision standards.

Before you commit:

• Book an ENG1 medical with an MCA-approved doctor early, so you know you meet the standards before you invest time in applications.
• Go to an open day at a maritime college and ask current cadets about their sea phases.
• Talk to cadet sponsors about the vessel types they run, trip lengths and leave patterns.
• Speak to officers from both deck and engine before you choose a department: the jobs, exams and working conditions are different.
• Use Career Compass to check whether long spells away, watchkeeping and close living fit your priorities.

If the engineering side appeals, the marine engineer career page covers engineering roles at sea and ashore. For how merchant navy pay compares with other careers, see our UK salaries by career report.

Read the merchant navy officer career guide

Unsure whether this path fits you? A career quiz gives you a type; a proper assessment gives you reasons and routes.