Danica’s Crew Managers’ survey confirms that seafarer salary costs are rising across all ranks, as revealed in our recent Seafarer Survey.
Some 74% of the shipping companies who responded to our Crew Managers’ Survey said they had increased wages for senior officers over the past year, with more than 60% reporting increased wages for junior officers and senior ratings, while almost 60% had increased wages for ratings. Only 6% of respondents had not adjusted wages over 2023.
Crew managers reported that wages for senior officers are up between 10 to 30%, with junior officer roles attracting salary increases of between 6-15%. Among ratings, salaries for senior ranks have risen 11 to 15% while for junior ratings the increases are between 6-10%.
Pay is a key motivator to seafarers to switch employers. Just over a third of crew managers felt their seafarers were more willing to change employer. More than 80% of crew managers saw salary as the main reason for seafarers switching jobs, which is in line with the almost 80% of crew members who said the same in Danica’s 2023 Seafarer Survey.
Henrik Jensen, Danica Crewing Specialists CEO, said: “We thought it would be interesting to see how crew managers evaluate the manning situation, in addition to our annual Seafarers’ Survey. The results are interesting and demonstrate how shortages of competent sea staff, particularly in certain ranks, are impacting crewing strategies for shipping firms. It seems the majority of ship owners and managers do recognise that salary levels are impacting the recruitment and retention of competent crew.”
To discuss seafarer remuneration in more detail please contact our Group Recruitment Manager Yulia Filchukova by email: filchukova@danica-crewing.com
Or mobile telephone/WhatsApp: +49 152 0305 0418
