Seafarers’ salaries are rising, study finds

Most shipowners raised wages in 2024, which contributed to a decrease in staff turnover.

The level of retention of seafarers in the global fleet has increased over the past year, which is partly explained by salary increases. These are the conclusions of the annual survey of crew managers conducted by Danica Crewing Specialists, Splash writes.  

According to the study, almost 90% of companies increased crew salaries in 2024, while only 7% of respondents said that they had not raised their salaries over the past year. At the same time, the size of the increase generally exceeded the indicators of 2023, with the exception of junior ratings.

The survey data also indicate that the outflow of personnel in the maritime industry has decreased. Thus, 41% of crew managers reported that the level of retention of seafarers over the past year has improved (versus 29% in the previous period). Only 23% of companies recorded a deterioration in the situation, which is a positive trend. In 2023, this figure was 36%.

Despite the improvement in overall indicators, 31% of respondents said that finding new competent seafarers has become more difficult or much more difficult, although in 2023 there were 46%.

Recently, USM wrote that Ukrainian seafarer training standards were recognized by the IMO committee.