Merchant Seaman salary: $51,520 median, and how to negotiate yours.
The full pay range by percentile, the 34 states with a published BLS median, the top-paying metro areas and similar roles, from the latest BLS survey. Place your own offer on the range.
Hourly pay, BLS May 2025: 10th percentile $16.61 · 25th $19.92 · median $24.77 · 75th $32.50 · 90th $40.20.
The median annual wage for sailors and marine oilers in the United States was $51,520 in May 2025 (BLS). The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,560 and the top 10% earned more than $83,620. That median is 1.0 times the $50,980 median for all occupations. BLS publishes a state median for 34 states; among them the highest was in Hawaii ($76,140).
Data Government data groups this job as Sailors and Marine Oilers (O*NET-SOC 53-5011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
- 10th percentile
- $34,560
- lowest-paid 10% earn less
- 25th percentile
- $41,430
- a quarter earn less
- 75th percentile
- $67,590
- a quarter earn more
- 90th percentile
- $83,620
- top 10% earn more
More on merchant seaman pay
The median hourly wage for sailors and marine oilers in the United States was $24.77 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The middle half of sailors and marine oilers in the United States earned between $41,430 and $67,590 a year in May 2025 (25th to 75th percentile, BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The lowest-paid 10% of sailors and marine oilers in the United States earned less than $34,560 a year in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $83,620 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The mean annual wage for sailors and marine oilers in the United States was $56,830 in May 2025, according to BLS; the mean is a different measure from the median.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS estimated that 31,670 people were employed as sailors and marine oilers in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Merchant Seaman salary in the 34 states with a published median
Data BLS state estimates, May 2025. 34 states publish a median for this occupation; together they employ 99% of the 31,670 merchant seamen BLS counts nationally. Every other state is listed below the table with its BLS status. Sort by pay or by number employed.
- Hawaii$76,140
- New Jersey$71,880
- Oregon$70,410
- Washington$66,700
- Alaska$63,130
- Louisiana7,580
- Texas4,270
- Virginia2,970
- Florida2,710
- California1,680
| State | 10th–90th percentile | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $76,140 | $46,810–$108,010 | 340 |
| New Jersey | $71,880 | $38,480–$94,470 | 520 |
| Oregon | $70,410 | $45,040–$91,140 | 210 |
| Washington | $66,700 | $45,200–$84,120 | 1,590 |
| Alaska | $63,130 | $40,200–$91,730 | 480 |
| Tennessee | $60,580 | $33,070–$78,070 | 870 |
| Delaware | $60,040 | $44,990–$63,860 | 80 |
| Florida | $57,930 | $34,230–$79,150 | 2,710 |
| Minnesota | $56,680 | $36,680–$79,780 | 90 |
| Indiana | $56,570 | $34,470–$102,210 | 570 |
| Texas | $55,610 | $38,360–$95,820 | 4,270 |
| California | $55,180 | $37,210–$79,290 | 1,680 |
| New York | $54,210 | $34,070–$78,860 | 1,570 |
| Ohio | $53,520 | $31,770–$58,270 | 140 |
| Missouri | $51,940 | $30,810–$75,920 | 220 |
| Michigan | $51,310 | $37,100–$62,130 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $50,500 | $33,890–$83,300 | 210 |
| Mississippi | $50,390 | $35,430–$61,790 | 490 |
| Virginia | $49,120 | $32,660–$60,650 | 2,970 |
| Illinois | $49,090 | $37,450–$85,870 | 420 |
| Wisconsin | $48,880 | $33,070–$76,860 | 110 |
| Rhode Island | $48,860 | $31,200–$110,290 | 210 |
| Iowa | $48,100 | $35,820–$60,470 | 70 |
| Kentucky | $47,460 | $36,580–$62,080 | 1,470 |
| West Virginia | $47,370 | $35,160–$69,050 | 100 |
| Maine | $46,800 | $39,550–$60,840 | 240 |
| Louisiana | $46,610 | $29,730–$92,420 | 7,580 |
| Connecticut | $45,280 | $37,600–$73,790 | 400 |
| North Carolina | $44,770 | $33,420–$60,240 | 310 |
| Massachusetts | $44,070 | $34,180–$75,130 | 420 |
| Alabama | $43,000 | $38,370–$70,300 | 290 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,810 | $35,810–$61,630 | 210 |
| Georgia | $37,500 | $25,870–$48,350 | 80 |
| Arkansas | $23,960 | $22,880–$60,300 | 70 |
- BLS publishes employment but no wage estimate: Maryland (310 employed).
- no estimate in BLS's May 2025 state file: Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming.
Where the median is highest
Data Metropolitan areas with at least 100 people employed in the occupation, BLS May 2025.
How the pay compares
Data National medians for related occupations (O*NET related roles, BLS pay).
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How this page is built
Wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates for May 2025 (national, state and metropolitan area), for the occupation shown. OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay: they include base pay, commissions, production bonuses and tips, and exclude overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits. Percentiles describe all workers in the occupation, not entry or senior levels.
- Pay at a specific employer, or for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Experience level: percentiles are not seniority bands.
- Equity, bonuses outside OEWS's definition, and benefits.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
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