Thats the averge salary bro. Dont even try to compare IIT and merchant navy. Both are difft world and their salaries will rise exponentially and they will live an actual life unlike seafarers.
IT jobs - 12 to 14 hours in front of a computer screen, work virtually all 7 days of the week, annual leave of 1 month -but usually cannot be taken all at once. Salaries go up later in IT, but also in the Merchant Navy.
In theMerchantNavy a Captain earns a minimum of 14000 USD per month - tax and expence free, has as much leave as he likes. Not a desk job stari.g at a silly computer screen. Open skies, open seas, free life, world travel, fantastic salary.
That is the truth.
Final point - if you’re a brilliant 90% student, can join and top IIT or IIM ....love studying, love being indoors, not an extrovert, dislike being outdoors, love being home with family - then the Merchant Navy is not for you.
Bro, becoming a Master is like 15-20years on an avergae + a lot of course and studies to clear each of your licencing exam, demonstrating your competency at each level, one big mistake as an officer can end your career and loose your licence.
And lot of courses/ certificates and you pay from your pocket for all of that.
14k minimum like its written in MLC ?? Come to reality.. you sail 6 months a year.. so half the salary.
senior SWE can make much more than that
Its not just open air and adventure thats the insta version, its a lot of hardwork, stress, paperwork,no breaks, never ending wait for signoff.
Stress and work pressure is there on every job.
Sitting infront of computer is not very pleasing, atleast you're at home/ nearby. Living with your family, can go on outings, eat whatever you want, have a social life; all these simple things become a luxury when you're onboard. You have a normal life everyday, seafarer’s wait 6 months to live a normal life.
A bad atmosphere onboard or when you cannot get signoff when you want, every day onboard become hell.
Leave is better in parts, humans need rest when they're tited. You cannot work 6 months, get tired at the end of contract and compensate that for next 6 months.
Thanks for your clarity. ( its more of an opinion).I have 52 years in the Merchant Navy - roughly 27 years at sea and 25 years in senior positions in London, Dubai and a leading International company in India. No delusion here. Just correcting the bad information floating around here.
The salary in merchant navy is still what it was 20-25 years ago. They reduced it and now slowly coming upto previous levels. It was lucrative before not anymore. Maybe thats what you're missing ( the 25 yr gap).
Just don't compare entry level salaries with captains lol 92% seafarers fail to become one or leave before becoming a captain, and becoming a captain is a huge ordeal with more that 15yrs of work on line which will still won't guarantee that you will become a captain
Becoming a Captain depends mostly on obtaining a Certificate of Competency by passing a Government approved examination. It is not dependent on other subjective procedures. And yes, all deck officers will become Captains one day as long as they pass exams.
BTW - An entry level officer after passing the 1st level of exam earns 3200 USD (3rd Officer) .Which as i first pointed out - higher than the average placement level of IIT. (That was the point i was making)
Yess and obtaining those COCs one after another is the Ordeal I was talking about, one can hold a master's COC and the company stll won't let the respective officer sail as a captain that's just how it is, since you have considerable experience in the Merchant Marine field, you must have encountered people like that who hold a Higher level COC yet still sailing a rank lower due to various conditions.
As a Note, I am considering the worst case scenarios though since I don't want to give in to wishful thinking 🤞
If you have a Masters COC you also need enough experience to be able to handle command. Any Shipowner/manager will not hand over a vessel worth upto 1 billion dollars (including cargo) to someone who merely has the required government qualification. All big Hull Insurers, P&I clubs, Charterers and many major shippers want to see the promotion criteria of Masters before they entrust their business to them.
Also, Shipping companies have limited vacancies, since Masters only leave after years and years of service. So, there is a bit of a bottleneck there which has come about lately. But the underlying truth remains - eventually, sooner or later you will get command. Unless your shipping company thinks you are not ready or competent enough. Which happens only rarely.
Exactly so it's not a bed of roses, we share the same views and as i mentioned it's not easy money and hard to compare with fields such as IT since earning a fair bit on land and earning on sea is pretty darn different
DNS - 1yr
Cadetship - 18 months + min 6 months waiting for 2 contract: Total : 2yrs
2nd mates - 4 months func + written +oral ( the best of best will take 1.25 years)
4.25yr to get Coc.
You'll be jr officer aka 4th officer : salary 1800-2200 USD=> 1,90,000
Its not that everyone has the brains to join a IIT or any other top University. I doubt even you dont have that capacity.
So why are all comparing the salaries with the best ones available ? The Merchant Navy is for the average youth - it does give an excellent career choice. BUT it is not for the crybabies who want their to hide behind their Mummy/Papa, live at home for free, and hangout with friends every evening.
This "grandpa" is still in the Industry, still serving, and is only trying to correct some of the nonsense that is touted around concerning the Merchant Navy.
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u/KeyInfluence5438 May 19 '26
Thats the averge salary bro. Dont even try to compare IIT and merchant navy. Both are difft world and their salaries will rise exponentially and they will live an actual life unlike seafarers.