Merchant navy membership is not for everyone. Candidates must be patriotic enough that they are willing to endure all the hardships, sacrifices, and problems they will face during training.
If you’re going to have to deal with all of this, why not learn everything you can about it such as the average merchant navy salary, post descriptions, eligibility criteria, and so on.
The Merchant Navy is a highly lucrative career that can also be very attractive for those who love to travel and are keen to see the world.
The Indian Merchant Navy is the backbone to the economy. It facilitates international trade by transporting and carrying cargo around the globe.
Some people mix the two professions of the Indian Navy and Merchant Navy together. Both are very different.
It is important to realize that the Merchant Navy is a career that involves commercial services. The Indian Navy, on the other hand, is dedicatedly involved with the defense of the nation.
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Average Merchant Navy Salary
It isn’t easy to apply for the merchant Navy profession. You might face some hardships depending on how the selection process is conducted.
It can be difficult for you to stay in the water for more than a few months, especially if your family isn’t there. Merchant Navy jobs offer a good pay and are a great opportunity to do this.
After completing active service, many Indian Navy personnel choose to enter the Merchant Navy career profile.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you may be able to directly apply for the Merchant Navy job profile.
Merchant Navy Salary – A Career with the Merchant Navy
If you are interested in the Merchant Navy career, there are two options:
1 Domestic Merchant Navy
These include cargo ships that travel between India’s ports, carrying cargo or other goods, including crude oil, military hardware, food, metal ore and many other items that are cheaper to ship via sea.
2 Foreign or International Merchant Navy
It refers to large cargo containers or other stuff that move between countries with oil or natural gas tankers or automobile carriers, ore haulers, and many others.
The foreign merchant navy in India has a much greater reach than the Indian one. It is easy to see why. India is well connected in terms of road and rail networks, so shipping goods by sea becomes a more expensive option.
Most Indians choose the international merchant navy option to transport their goods over the domestic one.
Top Colleges/Institutes to Study Merchant Navy Course
- CV Raman College of Engineering, Bhubaneswar
- Oceanic Maritime Institute (OMI), Dehradun
- Mumbai Maritime Training Institute (MMTI), Mumbai
- MASSA Maritime Academy (MMA), Navi Mumbai
- Amet University, Chennai
- Chidambaram Institute of Maritime Technology
- Post Sea Training Centre, Chennai: Hindustan Institute Of Maritime Training
- Institute of Petroleum Safety, Health & Environment Management, Goa
- Gurgaon: Natcom Education & Research Foundation
- V. Patel College of Engineering Gujrat
- Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi
- Indian Maritime University, Kolkata Campus (Indian Institute of Port Management), Kolkata
- Centre for Maritime Education & Training Lucknow
- Sons Merchant Navy Institute Meerut
- Fosma Maritime Institute and Research Organization (New Delhi),
- Institute of Marine Education & Research Pvt Ltd Patna
- School of Higher Academic and Professional Education in Panchkula- Haryana
- Maharashtra Academy of Naval Education & Training (Pune)
- National Ship Design & Research Centre, Visakhapatnam- Arunachal Pradesh
- RVS College of Maritime Science and Engineering in Pondicherry
Important Courses for Merchant Navy Jobs
- Nautical Science
- Harbour & Ocean Engineering
- Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Marine Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
Eligibility Criteria for Merchant Navy
Below are the requirements you must meet to be selected for this lucrative job in Merchant Navy.
- Candidates must have a 12 th pass certificate with the major subjects of Physics, Chemistry, or Mathematics
- Candidates must be able to graduate in Science stream
- No matter if the candidate is male or female, they should not be married
- Clear vision is essential. The glasses can be used up to 2.5 (minus) or plus.
If you meet these criteria, you will be allowed to take the entrance exam to gain admission. A screening test is conducted after the entrance exam.
If you pass the written examination, your interview will be conducted by the university/institute/college interviewers. A medical exam is also required.
The final step before you can start voyaging is to complete a ship training course. This course will inform you about basic security issues to ensure your safety onboard.
Merchant Navy Salary
Salary can be very variable. It all depends on your rank, your duties, the employer you work for, and the type merchant navy vessel.
There are two types of jobs in the Merchant Navy:
1 Licensed Crew
Merchant navy jobs are available to highly qualified, certified personnel from a national or foreign organization. They are eligible for licensing jobs.
2 Unlicensed Jobs
These jobs are required primarily for assistant positions in all departments of the ship. Unlicensed jobs are available for those who don’t have the required qualifications.
They will need to be certified by both national and international authorities in order to work across borders.
Because of its high pay, you might consider the Merchant Navy option. Before you consider this your career, however, it is important to know the exact types of jobs in the Merchant Navy profession.
Merchant Navy Salary I. Deck Jobs
Below are the 4 types of deck jobs:
a) Deckhands
The merchant navy’s deckhands are responsible for all aspects of the ship’s deck. Deckhands are also called deck cadets.
They are responsible for all duties, including coordinating with crew members and assisting in navigation.
The average monthly earnings of these workers vary between Rs 1 lakhs and 2 Lakhs.
b) Third Officer
The ship’s third officers are responsible for all technical operations and tasks, including speed, getting mechanical or technical problems fixed by engineers, fuel position and ensuring safety standards.
They also complete any work that is assigned. They coordinate with other vessels, ports and ships in the area to ensure safety and gentle sailing.
Third Mate maintain an inventory including fuel, tools, food, fuel and engine oils. This ensures that the safety of all crew members is maintained.
They also have to take care of the loading and unloading cargo from ships. They immediately notify the port captain if there is any damage.
Proper placement of cargo containers, the proper temperature for oil and natural gases tankers, along with their offloading from the terminus and switching on power for reefers transporting perishable cargo, are all part of the loading and offloading tasks.
They can earn anywhere from Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 8 lakhs per monthly.
c) Second Officer
The Captain’s Second Mate is responsible for various complex activities, including monitoring the vessel’s route, charting alternate sources, deducing weather data from satellites and assigning specific tasks to other crew members.
They are vital in keeping track of the well-being of crew members and communicating information about cargo safety to the shipper or owner.
Their most important responsibility is to resolve any dispute or issue that may arise while the ship is aboard. These disputes can be a threat to other crew members.
The second officers earn more than the first officers because their monthly earnings range from Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs.
d) Captain
The salary of the Captain of the ship is very high. They are the highest paid in Merchant Navy. They are responsible for a multitude of complex tasks, including managing the entire ship and crew, navigation and sailing the ship, cargo safety and keeping everyone safe onboard.
Captain, undoubtedly, is the most highly qualified person and can operate any type merchant navy vessel. Other names for the captain of a ship include Chief Mate, Master and Chief Officer.
Only the captain is responsible for reporting to the company that owns the ship. The captain will be expected to leave the ship once all the crew have left, which is rare in this era.
Average earnings for captains range from Rs 6 lakhs up to Rs 13 lakhs
Merchant Navy Salary – II. Engineering Jobs
The following types of engineering jobs are available in the merchant navy:
a) Engineering Cadet
Most engineering cadets are fresh graduates without any work experience. A maritime institute must be completed in order to become an engineering Cadet.
The diploma holders in electrical and mechanical engineering are generally those who were cadets in merchant navy.
They perform critical tasks such as maintaining a log of fuel consumption, checking in on sensitive electrical and communications equipment, and clearing out the ship’s sewage and garbage in accordance with international environmental norms and on-hands maintenance.
They could earn as much as Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 3 Lakhs per month.
b) Fourth Engineer
As a Fourth Engineer in the Merchant Navy, you are responsible for logistics and supplies essential to the voyage.
They are responsible for fuel, engine oils, spare part, and other essential parts that ensure the smooth operation of the ship.
They can also assist the second or third engineers with the maintenance of the navigational, electrical and communications systems. They also assist third engineers with hygiene and safety during voyages.
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They also supervise water supply and ensure the operation of all plumbing fixtures on board. They are also responsible for controlling the ventilation and air conditioning systems.
The average monthly salary for these workers is Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 5. lakhs.
c) Merchant Navy Salary – Third Engineer
Third engineers are vital to the operation of the ship. They will be responsible for monitoring the ship’s structure and frame to prevent any leakage. They also have to paint the ship.
Third engineers are part of the merchant navy. They have an on-hands position, which means that they have many departments to monitor, including navigational equipment, maintenance of communication, electrical generator, propulsion system and any other duties as assigned by the second engineer.
They also monitor cargo freighters and take temperature readings in order to make sure that perishable food does not go stale.
Third engineers can earn as much as Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 9 lakhs.
d) Second Engineer
The functioning of all emergency systems aboard the ship is ensured by second engineers. They report only to the captain and chief engineers.
They are responsible for supervising the engine, navigation and fuel positions as well as safety equipment throughout the voyage.
They assist the chief engineer in managing several protocols and making sure that all crew members adhere to them.
The ship’s pollution levels are monitored by the second engineers who also ensure compliance with international environmental laws.
In the event of a need for specific tasks, they will assign them to junior engineers.
Second engineers can earn Rs 4 lakhs to 10 lakhs per monthly.
e) Chief Engineer
The vessel’s entire operation is under the control of the chief engineer. Their salary and rank are similar to the captain. They are responsible for monitoring fuel consumption and engine maintenance.
The chief engineer is notified if there is an electrical or mechanical problem onboard. It is their responsibility to assign the appropriate crew members to the problem and resolve it.
They are responsible for maintaining the ship’s entertainment system, power generation, supply of electricity to all areas, proper functioning of communication systems and keeping track of the ventilation system.
Their role is very challenging because they have many responsibilities. All that work is worth it as they can get a staggering salary package starting at Rs 5 lakhs and going up to Rs 12 Lakhs.
Merchant Navy Salary – III. Logistics and Support Jobs
Unlicensed crew members are responsible for carrying out the tasks and duties assigned to them. They fall under the Logistics and Support jobs category. They can also be an assistant to deckhands and other crew members to assist them with various tasks onboard.
Unlicensed crew members include the Seaman Cadets, Able Seamans, Ordinary Seamen, Oiler, Bosun and Motorman. They all have their own roles and responsibilities. Bosun, for example, is a ship officer responsible for the crew and equipment.
They can earn between Rs 75000 and Rs 1.25 lakhs per monthly.
Privileges to Merchant Navy Personnel
People who work in the merchant Navy are not only paid well, but also enjoy a lot of perks and benefits. Below are some of the benefits:
- There are many benefits that the Indian government offers, even if you’re not a resident Indian (NRI), such as income exempted from Income-tax by foreign companies.
- There are many types of insurances, including life insurance, accidental insurance, and health insurance.
- All meals and lodging are included during your entire voyage.
- Allowance for expenses incurred abroad
- Annual leave with discounted air tickets. The best part? You can choose the destination you want
- You can take long-term leaves of up to 90 days. Depending on your employer and the vessel you work in, you may be allowed to stretch or take parts.
- Seafarer clubs membership
- Shipping companies may offer risk allowance if you sail in pirate-infested areas.
Conclusion
You may have heard the expression, “Love what you do and do whatever you love.” If you love to travel the world, and sailing in water is what you think about, you can prove it right. Although it is difficult to get into the merchant navy, it can be done if you have the right skills and endurance.
Merchant Navy is the most lucrative profession in India. You must be focused and dedicated to join a maritime course in order to get into the merchant navy.
We hope you have found all that you need to start your Merchant Navy practice. Let us know what you think about this article in the comments below to help facilitate your merchant navy journey.