Seafarer salaries have risen recently, as observed by Danica’s international teams who place crew with a wide range of owners across the world. Over the past 6-12 months we have seen wage levels increase by 5-10%, even 15% in some cases.
We can attribute these rises to the following:
1. There are an increasing number of job available in relation to the number of qualified seafarers, causing some shortages at certain ranks and driving up salaries as a result.
2. Good markets in some sectors have enabled ship owners to be more generous
3. An increasing number of ship owners understand the importance of recruiting and retaining the best talent to ensure efficient ship operations. This has resulted in an increase in the number of owners willing to pay good rates for top talent.
4. Inflation has impacted crew outgoings at home, although in some countries a stronger US Dollar exchange rate has compensated for this.
At Danica Crewing Specialists we understand the many aspects which make up a successful crewing strategy and the role wages play within this.
Danica CEO Henrik Jensen observes: “It is important for ship owners to maintain a realistic wage scale enabling them to recruit and retain the seafarers they need by number and competencies. However, it’s also important to maintain an element of discipline and to keep wages within this wage scale.”
He explains: “If a ship owner has too low a wage scale compared to the wider market place then, in order to fill vacancies, they will come into a situation where a bonus will have to be negotiated and applied for many joining seafarers – which can lead to a uncontrolled wage spin.”
As a large, multi-national maritime recruiter, Danica is in touch with tens of thousands of seafarers every year. This gives us in-depth intelligence on wage levels, not only for ship types and ranks but also for experience and competencies. We are able to advise our clients on realistic wage levels for crews who meet their expectations.
Get in touch to find out more about how Danica Crewing Specialists can help your crew strategy. Contact Henrik Jensen on the numbers below.
For details of Danica’s comprehensive range of crewing services and administrative operations please visit our website: https://www.danica-maritime.com/
