I was in the Navy way back in the day - I had looked at being a Merchant Marine and had a buddy that went in. I look at what you are pulling down and have a LOT of respect - you are making a Grip of cash! Good on you and keep it up!
For "no education" you pretty much made a killer presentation. Thank you, Dean!! I'm an ex-navy guy .... I thought when I was a kid, I thought I'd finish my 6-year hitch and then see if I could land a job as a merchant marine ..... I thought I might eventually qualify as an AB someday .... and go back to school to get my Radio license and maybe become a Radio Officer .... never worked out ... I stayed 20 years in the navy, but for you guys, I have major respect.. I hope your travels don't take you anywhere near those middle-east danger zones, Dean. Thanks again for a great presentation.
Biggest thing is not only did you make 42k you’re expenses while you were gone were low so you have most of that money. I always tell people this is one of the last careers that you can really make some money and set yourself up for the future. Even if you don’t want to sail for a long time. Sail 5 years, stack some cash, buy a house and pay it off, and invest. After 5 years you can go do whatever. Pay yourself first as they say. Skip the brand new 90k truck and bullshit materialistic stuff. Set yourself up for the future. I went to an Academy and then climbed the ranks. I highly recommend you get your mates license and start making even more $.
Absolutely. If I could give one piece of advice to young men. I can remember being young and thinking retirement is long, long way away. But trust me, it flies. It seems like I was 25 yesterday, I'm in my fifties today. Max your 401k contributions, and on top of that max out your Roth IRA every year. Don't get tricked into buying crap you don't need, don't buy an expensive truck, don't waste money on junk. Invest in yourself. Because trust me, when you hit your 50s you'll be glad you did.
Yes! While the other people you went to high school with are going 60k in debt for a worthless college degree then working for $15/hr at Starbucks and living with their parents! 😂
You really have zero expenses if it’s like working on an offshore drilling rig. You can have $100. Bill in your pocket and when you get back it’s still there. If it’s 14 or 28 days later. Try that working on land !
Deducting for home time, you are looking at about 100K a year. It doesnt seem like much but when you consider room and board is paid. Plus the vacation pay. The ability to save simply because there is no mall just down the road. Its great pay! I regret blowing off my grandmother when she mentioned it when i was young. Considering in just a few years you could pay cash for a house, work another 3 months and furnish the house and another 3 months for a new car. Its so much better than the trucking industry!!! Make it a careere, being wise with your money, you can retire with a few million!
And folks as he said.......no education........Oh that's right.....he didn't hear of all the lazy, no good rich folk kids who couldn't even tie their shoes at 24 unless mommy and daddy were not their to help so they undoubtedly find the tail of Biden's train to get the relief of university debt....
Can’t beat it at all! I’m glad I found your channel, Dean. Thank you for being transparent about money. As we know, it's a sensitive topic for many. I appreciate the rundown on what to expect as a merchant mariner. I recently applied for my MMC about a week ago and hope to get on a ship in the future. Keep up the great work.
Nice and even better that you love what you do! My father was a first mate for 7 years in the Merchant Marines and told me so many stories of 2 week layovers in Africa and Holland. He loved it!
My only advice... Max out your Roth 401K. Skip the traditional unless that is where the match is and only do what is required to get the match. Then, you want to do a Roth IRA (backdoor partially at you income level). Rock it.
ALWAYS get the match! (If the company offers a Roth 401k, put your contribution there. The company's match will be in a Traditional 401k.) Then Max out your Roth IRA. After maxing the Roth IRA, Max out your Roth 401k. Don't forget about the HSA if you're healthy enough for a high deductible insurance plan.
I worked on a parcel tanker, mostly around Scandinavia and the Baltic. The regime was very generous with overtime and compensation for excess hours. The ship was in and out of port rapidly and we were tank cleaning non stop. It was actually possible to log more hours in one week than the 148 hours. Tank cleaning was rewarded with a bottle of Woods rum for the crew bar. When we left the Baltic for Rotterdam to refill the tanks, we had a party with free drinks. The food was top class with steaks and lobster every Saturday. Managed to buy a car with the earnings on that trip.
I graduated in 1976 and had my first 2nd Officer job in 1979....The Sea Land Producer, and was making 7000$ monthly. To put that in context I purchased a new MG in 76 for 3500
How is it that I never heard of this… the only time I ever heard of the merchant Marine was their bravery during World War II. Do you have to take test or examinations to qualify? And are they always looking for people or is there a waiting line to get in… I feel the need for some salt air!
@@REBELSCL Gotta get your STCWs and MMC through a coast guard approved facility if you go to the union they will have you take a very basic math and english test but they are always hiring
It’s a fine wage if you have no place to call home. The math stops working when you have somewhere and someone that anchors you to a place. Sure you can make 6 figures a year, but what happens when you want to have a family or some stability? I get it man, I’ve fished commercially and bartended and done a number of things that paid well for the time put in, but they weren’t conducive to living a fulfilling life to my mind. They were fun, and worthwhile experiences to be sure. As an unattached young person, it’s a good time, as an older person it doesn’t pencil out. If you get grounded you will need to develop a whole new skill set and will be back at square one trying to build a career. Not trying to ruin your day, but it’s a narrow band that will suit a few itinerant folks.
I swear I wish I had known about the Merchant Marines when I was younger, I would have signed up in a heartbeat! My ex worked for SIU and the tales I would hear from the members when they would have LAVISH holiday parties at the SIU headquarters was mind boggling! What SailorDean didn't mention is you only work 6 months at a time, but get paid all year! A number of the seamen had hobbies of collecting/buying gold! Anything made out of gold, they would buy whenever they were in the Arabian Peninsula areas. It was a great life and my love of the sea would have been perfect. It does tend to get lonely, but hell, work hard for 10 or 15 years, retire with pension and bennies, and travel the world...now THAT'S the life! I'm looking forward to watching more from your channel SailorDean!, Sail, on Sailor!
Retired out of the Army a few years ago. This was interesting…sure beats being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq a few times…and pay and accommodations looks better too. Looks like a good option for a young person starting a career. Salute!
Quick reference.. I'm a merchant mariner with an A/B Unlimited. In the deck department, there are basically 5 levels. Ordinary Seaman, AB OSV, AB Special, AB Limited, AB Unlimited. We don't have a bosun or anything like that. With my company, the pay scale is as follows... O/S: $275/day A/B OSV: $375/day A/B Special: $385/day A/B Limited: $395/day A/B Unlimited: $410/day No union, no overtime, no vacation pay, a little bit of seniority pay after 5 years but not much.
Good content. I worked offshore around the globe ocean engineering, salvage, subsea cable install living on various vessels - ships, barges, platforms etc… It can be a lonely life, tough on relationships and just your personal life in general. You have to want to do it and accept the sacrifices. Not for everyone but if you’re into it, you can see the world, make a good career from it, and a decent living.
before first gulf war pay and working conditions had gone down hill. many left. after the war started conditions and pay improved. you have a great life on the water.
I worked Tugs, Fleet work on the Mississippi River and " Trip " loads. There was my Captain, and me. I was Engineer, Oiler, Head Stewart and Deckhand!! Absolutely LOVED that job!!
Watching your video brought me back to my Decking days! I totally relate to washing your ship, it was one of my duties. I worked a 14 - on, 7 day off schedule, and I lived on my boat, Miss Courtney, I found her a few years ago on ship traffic sight, but I looked the other day and couldn't find her. That job was one of the toughest, heaviest, scariest, dirtiest, best job that I ever worked. I left the electrical field for 2 years and worked on the river. Went back to electrical, and ended up wiring ships!! Hornbeck Offshore was the last.@@SailorDean4
Hey Chief Bosun! You popped up on my feed. Ill be keeping an eye out for your videos now, cant wait to see more. Hope everything is going good for you brother.
My brother was an ABS in the mid-seventies. He worked for four years and then left. He went back in in the late 1980’s, but there were no jobs. The only ones hiring were foreign flagged ships that paid next to nothing. He was in the Jacksonville, Fl union hall in the 1990’s and the union BA came out and told everybody there was no jobs, there wasn’t going to be any jobs and they should all find another line of work.
I was an OS. I had no intention to make it a career, I just wanted to see the world a bit. I did and it was interesting. I went to Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Panama, and a lot of different ports in the US. It was great fun, and it paid pretty well.
I had an Uncle and was in the Navy and decided to get out right before WW2. He’d been on a submarine and had been in 10 years. He was planning to go to the merchant marines. The attack on Pearl Harbor put him in the Navy another 4 years. When the War was over he finally got to go. He went in the Merchant Marines and he told me he went around the world 23 times in all. The past few years before he retired he worked on a fire boat in the Port Author,Texas. I remember when I was a kid he always had stories to tell.
You're hilarious man and I love the music. That's not a bad kick in the pants, without the $7000 bonus, you're looking at about $9000 a month. If you just straight up go sea full time and did that same amount of OT you're looking at $108,000 a year.
A lot of people outside the industry forget about the "extra wages" I call it. These "extra wages" are all the money one saves by being on a ship. No daily gas. No daily coffee/eating out. Food, room, & board is payed for by the Company. No daily road tolls, etc etc etc. I notice a lot of people forget to "add it all up too". Lets use these numbers rounded off for easy math. You made (before tax) $40,000 in 4 months. That is $10,000 per month. Let's say you want to work 8 months of the year. 8 months of the year worked = $80,000 Let's not forget about your vacation pay Vac pay (using the numbers you said in vid) for 8 months = $20,000. Total pay for 8 months = $100,000. This number looks totally different after adding the vacation pay. Don't forget during these 8 months, we weren't ordering pizzas, buying a case or two of beer each week, getting pad thai, fueling our cars, paying for oil changes, putting wear and tear on our cars, etc etc etc. Then we still have 4 months off per year to enjoy our time. This is why I'm swapping to this career (in Jan 2025). I will make a little less money than I was in my previous job, but I will have time off to enjoy life.
My grandfather and his brother were in the Peruvian merchant marine when they were young. When they arrived in San Francisco, they left/jumped ship. He was in the Longshoremen union of SF. He never went back home.
Hello, I retired from the S.I.U. in Canada a couple of years ago. After a career of 46 years, wouldn't have changed a thing. In Canada your penalty premiums, we call here Danger pay. Thanks for the informative video. Good luck with your career, you won't regret it.
Very insightful! At a glance, some people might say its not worth it for the money. Ok, how many people who make $42k a year have eight months to themselves off the clock? Then if you were to get two tours a year, how many people who make $84k a year get four months to themselves? At $84k a year for two tours, your making well above middle class wage. Sure taxes take a bite out of it after $60k, but your making the same amount as a nerdy engineer, the average deployed military officer with a four year degree or even more than a lawyer with a eight year degree. And most of all, that can happen at the age of 21. You can literally put that off time into a business and sling shot into upper class. Because you have time the other guys just cant have at all. Most of all, the others are likely going to drop back down to lower class when they retire, because social security and 401k aint keeping nobody in middle class. Especially if they get a chronic disease or end up drowning in severe debt (which allot do). Sure some sailor might too, but when they both hit 65, get Medicare and have this conversation at the hospital lobby, the sailor without the degree about 7 out of 10 times will outshine the other guy with a degree career.
My granddad was a merchant marine from WW2 to 1970 when I was born he was an officer and had an engineering degree his retirement was like 80 grand a year in 1980
I've worked for a Maritime transport company the past 15 years transporting crew, both american and foreign. This fits inline. We've had some crew drive for us over the years. This is a great explanation for those who are thinking to get into the industry. What I'm curious about that I haven't asked yet. I've dealt with helping to sign off foreign crew as far as customs work goes. I'd be curious to see you break down a video if you've had to sign off in a foreign country what all you have to go through when disembarking and getting to the airport. Do you have to visit a customs officer? Do they board and clear the ship and clear you on board?
Thanks for the video. I would like to ask you to double check your Saturday/Sunday pay rate. Your weekday rate is $153.17 divided by 8 is ~$19.15 per hour, which is your Saturday/Sunday rate. I don't see an overtime boost for the Saturday/Sunday rate. Otherwise, it sounds like you enjoy your job and that is the most important point. :)
I got the impression that the overtime is for after his 8 hour workday and that the sat/sun rate was any hours worked those days (inclusive of the day rate). I could be wrong though.
I had a buddy who was in the MM. He *ALSO* joined the Navy reserve. -Which as a MM, *really* only meant that once a month, he did 'sailor exercises' and once a year he checked into a Naval Yard. He was at 8 years in, already a Millionaire.at 35... His plan was 12 more years, then retire with 5 Million in the bank. -FYI: Dude *also* lived a pretty high life, -was always the guy to buy drinks for the crowd. said that his goal was always to spend 5,000 bucks on just life in between boats so that people would remember him when he got off shore.
@@SailorDean4 THAT, I do not know. I do know that the Navy approached him (not the other way around) and he said 'sure, I'll do it'. He did imply that being the navy (for him at least) was a total joke because he didn't do anything for them besides showing up once a year.
I'm sure it can be hard on the body, and a little sketchy when a fast moving unmarked boat starts approaching in the darkness... It's definitely an adventure, but I make that much as a Wal-Mart truck driver without being stuck at sea for months on end. I'm not ashamed to say, I don't think I could do what you do. Y'all are built different!!!! I live 5 exits from my job. I could go home every night if I wanted to. The idea of that option being taken off the table feels wrong. I'm pretty spoiled but I know there's a number that could change my mind... It wouldn't make my back stop hurting but it afford me extra meds to cope.
Hey I'm a foreigner I think I want to do that too. Could you make a video going over the steps to get to the point you are right now? Things like what courses you must take, what you must study, so on and so forth. I'm 27, I know nothing. Thank you this is very inspiring!
great video and great channel. I'm going after Ordinary Seaman jobs now. I'm gonna try to go to tugs or Great Lakes carriers but your gig would be a lot of fun too Rob
The only downside is that so many vessels have gone foreign flagged. They do that so they can hire foreign merchant mariners at a fraction of the pay. I looked into shipping with a union as a Wiper, the lowest engineering rating, and was told that the entry level positions had been bargained away through union collective bargaining. It can be difficult to get your foot in the door. I applied with MSC and just ended up joining the Navy when I couldn’t wait any longer. I’m glad I did, but my life took me in a different direction after my service.
Crazy how in the merchant marine you travel all around the world but in the end your wage is based on the country you sign the contract. Same rank on the same ship type, you can earn twice as much if you sign contract in west europe vs east europe. On top of that wages have been stagnant the past 10+ years, many old sailors boast about the luxurious lifestyles compared to now.
I once worked in the maritime industry, it taught me alot about office etiquette and strangley enough how to run a business while maintaining governmental certificates.
I sailed 35 years on all kinds of ships, tankers, USNS RO-RO's, car carriers, container ships and an oceanographic ship. I loved the life and miss it I was the ET / electrician We are actually called MERCHANT MARINERS in the MERCHANT MARINE, UNLICENSED AND LICENSED CAN'T sail on my US docs or I'd lose my union pension BUT have given thought to working on Canadian ships or ferries
Merchant marine pay is compatible to a lineman working OTR. Only difference is that the lineman has to pay for gas and food to get to work and pay for vehicle maintenance more often. The merchant marine side u eliminate those costs and are able to save more money
Question: How does one get compensated for an "all hands on deck" call, say for a pirate threat, fire on board, storm, or any other "all hands on deck" scenario?
You guys need to look at how many hours he worked and there is still a chance of his ship being attacked. It's not as easy as he makes it sound. He also worked on the deck, so it wasn't a chair job lol!
Not bad for a relatively “entry level” pay that I presume jumps a lot as you make your way up. But you are still around $10,000/month with….. any benefits. Entry level cops and firemen, with maybe 3 years on the job, at a good or larger city Department are making Over $10K/month…. before overtime (and before promotions) with pensions, lifetime medical etc. many cops work 3 twelve hours shifts a month and most firemen work 10 x 24 hour shifts a month. It is surprising how much some “blue collar jobs” pay such as longshoremen, various positions o. Commercial trains etc pay…. Most with no need for college education or Debt 😮
My father did merchant marine on an ammo carrier in WWII. The sister ship of his ship got torpedoed, dad said the explosion was spectacular and that he did vomit! His cousin was on that ship.
@@jaideedave Yes because they are not humans, they are monkeys and that is why they get peanuts. That is what you like to say, that is your thought process. Just based on passport you like to support discrimination.
Thanks for the transparency. Really good summary of wages. Do you normally do contract after contract? What i mean is do you work on a ship for 12 continuous minths?
I can’t say an exact number but company make a lot more then union both are very good pay the good part about union is they get a very good vacation check
That’s a pretty spectacular amount of money as a young man for sure…. Do they have or use Paramedics on board your ships? If so would you be willing to share where I could apply?
Most ships do not the medical operations fall to the mates but on cable ships they do have a qualified “nurse” onboard specifically for medical purposes
Is there a long intro for a MM union? Im ready to go brother... Subbed to ya. I'm actually looking atm what I need here. Should I pay 125 USD for the TWIC and then apply for the MMC? I honestly dont know the method here. Google is awfully confusing. I just wanna go work... Any tips would be great man. Thanks.
@@SailorDean4 So the apprentice program is mandatory? Or can I test to get the license? I've got 25 years of diesel technician experience. as well as journeyman welder and machinist. I just know certain unions are really impossible to get into without first doing their programs. Just thinking I'm a bit old to get into any apprenticeship schools. I did see I can just apply for the Licenses. I'm going to look more into it tomorrow. Thanks for the videos. Looks like something I would enjoy.
Great video explaining how your pay is calculated. Especially considering room and board, that’s good money. I’m an ILWU longshoreman in San Francisco/Oakland. These are some of the best jobs on the planet without formal education. Work hard, pay attention and be willing to learn. Some advice from an older guy: start paying into your 401k with the goal of maxing out every year!
Awesome video. I have a bachelors degree in an unrelated field and I’ve been in the army for 5 years. I’m currently enlisted. I want to become a deck officer eventually for the merchant marine. Do I have to go to an academy or just get sea time?
Thanks for being so transparent! Does your vacation pay only apply to SIU graduates or to anyone dependent on company, ship, etc? I'm planning on switching careers in 2025, but will not be attending school - instead working my way up from the bottom.
He'll owe state income tax, presumably, as well. What's the benefits situation? For example, do you get health insurance coverage from the company, or do you have to buy that out of pocket?
Hey there, im a chief officer in a VLCC, getting my masters license. If you get 40k each contract as an AB how much your master get ? It doesn't make sense really thats crazy. Most bosuns take 2k closed salary. Not bonus or overtimes. Master in europe gets aroun 14k a month, second mate around 5 to 6.
Okay, but what do you do for a place to live during your off time? Or do you go work another contract during your off time? So you never have to worry about paying rent or mortgage.
@@SailorDean4 tempting but my wife bought 2 laundromats but dam I wished I thought of the ship life years ago ...dam boring factories and working at Walmart lol
I started in the offshore oil industry working on boats as a OS with a starting pay of 40.00 dollars a day. This was July 2 1979. Got my sea time at a rate of a day and a half for each day I worked and within a few months I took the test for AB and passed so my rate went from 40.00 to 55.00 dollars a day. I got enough sea time to take my Mate’s test which I passed so my rate went from 55.00 to 100.00 a day. I started working on lift boats with a starting rate from 100.00 to 200.00 dollars a day. When we had to run a crane after 600 pm we also got 15.00 for every hour of overtime. We also got double pay for certain holidays if I was working on that holiday I would get 400.00 for that holiday instead of the 200.00 pay per day. I highly recommend working in the merchant marine industry no matter ship or oilfield or push boats or offshore tugs or harbor tub. The drawbacks to working in this industry is the time away from friends and loved ones, bad weather and missing holidays. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
Lucky you. My Filipino nephew who’s a welder on a ship that goes all over the world told me that he makes only $5/hr 40 hours/week that totals to only $800=P40,000/month. He is underpaid like the workers in the Middle East.
Learn how to Become a Merchant Mariner: www.youtube.com/@SailorDean4?sub_confirmation=1
I was in the Navy way back in the day - I had looked at being a Merchant Marine and had a buddy that went in. I look at what you are pulling down and have a LOT of respect - you are making a Grip of cash! Good on you and keep it up!
For "no education" you pretty much made a killer presentation. Thank you, Dean!! I'm an ex-navy guy .... I thought when I was a kid, I thought I'd finish my 6-year hitch and then see if I could land a job as a merchant marine ..... I thought I might eventually qualify as an AB someday .... and go back to school to get my Radio license and maybe become a Radio Officer .... never worked out ... I stayed 20 years in the navy, but for you guys, I have major respect.. I hope your travels don't take you anywhere near those middle-east danger zones, Dean. Thanks again for a great presentation.
Biggest thing is not only did you make 42k you’re expenses while you were gone were low so you have most of that money. I always tell people this is one of the last careers that you can really make some money and set yourself up for the future. Even if you don’t want to sail for a long time. Sail 5 years, stack some cash, buy a house and pay it off, and invest. After 5 years you can go do whatever. Pay yourself first as they say. Skip the brand new 90k truck and bullshit materialistic stuff. Set yourself up for the future. I went to an Academy and then climbed the ranks. I highly recommend you get your mates license and start making even more $.
Couldn’t agreee more
Absolutely. If I could give one piece of advice to young men. I can remember being young and thinking retirement is long, long way away. But trust me, it flies. It seems like I was 25 yesterday, I'm in my fifties today. Max your 401k contributions, and on top of that max out your Roth IRA every year. Don't get tricked into buying crap you don't need, don't buy an expensive truck, don't waste money on junk. Invest in yourself. Because trust me, when you hit your 50s you'll be glad you did.
I wish I had your advice 30 years ago! I went a different route and somehow made out fine - but the Merchant Marines is a solid choice.
Yes! While the other people you went to high school with are going 60k in debt for a worthless college degree then working for $15/hr at Starbucks and living with their parents! 😂
You really have zero expenses if it’s like working on an offshore drilling rig. You can have $100. Bill in your pocket and when you get back it’s still there. If it’s 14 or 28 days later. Try that working on land !
You're doing just fine young man. Totally ahead of the curve compared to most!
Deducting for home time, you are looking at about 100K a year. It doesnt seem like much but when you consider room and board is paid. Plus the vacation pay. The ability to save simply because there is no mall just down the road. Its great pay! I regret blowing off my grandmother when she mentioned it when i was young. Considering in just a few years you could pay cash for a house, work another 3 months and furnish the house and another 3 months for a new car. Its so much better than the trucking industry!!! Make it a careere, being wise with your money, you can retire with a few million!
And folks as he said.......no education........Oh that's right.....he didn't hear of all the lazy, no good rich folk kids who couldn't even tie their shoes at 24 unless mommy and daddy were not their to help so they undoubtedly find the tail of Biden's train to get the relief of university debt....
Can’t beat it at all! I’m glad I found your channel, Dean. Thank you for being transparent about money. As we know, it's a sensitive topic for many. I appreciate the rundown on what to expect as a merchant mariner. I recently applied for my MMC about a week ago and hope to get on a ship in the future. Keep up the great work.
Thanks good luck with your journey it’s worth it
Nice and even better that you love what you do! My father was a first mate for 7 years in the Merchant Marines and told me so many stories of 2 week layovers in Africa and Holland. He loved it!
My only advice... Max out your Roth 401K. Skip the traditional unless that is where the match is and only do what is required to get the match. Then, you want to do a Roth IRA (backdoor partially at you income level). Rock it.
ALWAYS get the match! (If the company offers a Roth 401k, put your contribution there. The company's match will be in a Traditional 401k.)
Then Max out your Roth IRA.
After maxing the Roth IRA, Max out your Roth 401k.
Don't forget about the HSA if you're healthy enough for a high deductible insurance plan.
I worked on a parcel tanker, mostly around Scandinavia and the Baltic. The regime was very generous with overtime and compensation for excess hours. The ship was in and out of port rapidly and we were tank cleaning non stop. It was actually possible to log more hours in one week than the 148 hours. Tank cleaning was rewarded with a bottle of Woods rum for the crew bar. When we left the Baltic for Rotterdam to refill the tanks, we had a party with free drinks. The food was top class with steaks and lobster every Saturday. Managed to buy a car with the earnings on that trip.
Longshorman here. I work some of the ships some of the guys commenting.
Thanks for the video. Very interesting.
Lots of respect for you and the longshoremen
I graduated in 1976 and had my first 2nd Officer job in 1979....The Sea Land Producer, and was making 7000$ monthly. To put that in context I purchased a new MG in 76 for 3500
Now that’s amazing
@@SailorDean4 Following Seas, Dean...
I was the 3rd engineer on the SeaLand Trader in 2000. I made 24K per month on that money printer.
How is it that I never heard of this… the only time I ever heard of the merchant Marine was their bravery during World War II. Do you have to take test or examinations to qualify? And are they always looking for people or is there a waiting line to get in… I feel the need for some salt air!
@@REBELSCL Gotta get your STCWs and MMC through a coast guard approved facility if you go to the union they will have you take a very basic math and english test but they are always hiring
It’s a fine wage if you have no place to call home. The math stops working when you have somewhere and someone that anchors you to a place. Sure you can make 6 figures a year, but what happens when you want to have a family or some stability? I get it man, I’ve fished commercially and bartended and done a number of things that paid well for the time put in, but they weren’t conducive to living a fulfilling life to my mind. They were fun, and worthwhile experiences to be sure. As an unattached young person, it’s a good time, as an older person it doesn’t pencil out. If you get grounded you will need to develop a whole new skill set and will be back at square one trying to build a career. Not trying to ruin your day, but it’s a narrow band that will suit a few itinerant folks.
I swear I wish I had known about the Merchant Marines when I was younger, I would have signed up in a heartbeat! My ex worked for SIU and the tales I would hear from the members when they would have LAVISH holiday parties at the SIU headquarters was mind boggling! What SailorDean didn't mention is you only work 6 months at a time, but get paid all year!
A number of the seamen had hobbies of collecting/buying gold! Anything made out of gold, they would buy whenever they were in the Arabian Peninsula areas. It was a great life and my love of the sea would have been perfect. It does tend to get lonely, but hell, work hard for 10 or 15 years, retire with pension and bennies, and travel the world...now THAT'S the life!
I'm looking forward to watching more from your channel SailorDean!, Sail, on Sailor!
Retired out of the Army a few years ago. This was interesting…sure beats being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq a few times…and pay and accommodations looks better too. Looks like a good option for a young person starting a career. Salute!
Quick reference.. I'm a merchant mariner with an A/B Unlimited. In the deck department, there are basically 5 levels. Ordinary Seaman, AB OSV, AB Special, AB Limited, AB Unlimited. We don't have a bosun or anything like that. With my company, the pay scale is as follows...
O/S: $275/day
A/B OSV: $375/day
A/B Special: $385/day
A/B Limited: $395/day
A/B Unlimited: $410/day
No union, no overtime, no vacation pay, a little bit of seniority pay after 5 years but not much.
Which company
@@SailorDean4 looks like offshore
Great information, I'm going to share this on our facebook page so our students can see the potential if they stick with the program.
Awesome, thank you!
Good content. I worked offshore around the globe ocean engineering, salvage, subsea cable install living on various vessels - ships, barges, platforms etc… It can be a lonely life, tough on relationships and just your personal life in general. You have to want to do it and accept the sacrifices. Not for everyone but if you’re into it, you can see the world, make a good career from it, and a decent living.
before first gulf war pay and working conditions had gone down hill. many left. after the war started conditions and pay improved. you have a great life on the water.
I worked Tugs, Fleet work on the Mississippi River and " Trip " loads. There was my Captain, and me. I was Engineer, Oiler, Head Stewart and Deckhand!! Absolutely LOVED that job!!
That’s actually sounds amazing would love to hear more about it
Watching your video brought me back to my Decking days! I totally relate to washing your ship, it was one of my duties. I worked a 14 - on, 7 day off schedule, and I lived on my boat, Miss Courtney, I found her a few years ago on ship traffic sight, but I looked the other day and couldn't find her. That job was one of the toughest, heaviest, scariest, dirtiest, best job that I ever worked. I left the electrical field for 2 years and worked on the river. Went back to electrical, and ended up wiring ships!! Hornbeck Offshore was the last.@@SailorDean4
I was a damned ole towboater for 31 years. Last time I0 years on the lower
Hey Chief Bosun! You popped up on my feed. Ill be keeping an eye out for your videos now, cant wait to see more. Hope everything is going good for you brother.
Good hearing from you have you been sailing
My brother was an ABS in the mid-seventies. He worked for four years and then left. He went back in in the late 1980’s, but there were no jobs. The only ones hiring were foreign flagged ships that paid next to nothing. He was in the Jacksonville, Fl union hall in the 1990’s and the union BA came out and told everybody there was no jobs, there wasn’t going to be any jobs and they should all find another line of work.
Nice vid, I learned a lot! I used to visit the Academy at Kings Point often as an advisor to the administration.
Fair sailing voyager!
Keep at it and keep moving up! Hausepiper working in the oilfield/windfarms. The money is there if you want to make it
Good video. I suggest saving aggressively in your 401 (k) while you're young so your money has a long time to work for you before you retire.
Safe Sailing brother.. 💙⚓
I was an OS. I had no intention to make it a career, I just wanted to see the world a bit. I did and it was interesting. I went to Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Panama, and a lot of different ports in the US. It was great fun, and it paid pretty well.
I had an Uncle and was in the Navy and decided to get out right before WW2. He’d been on a submarine and had been in 10 years. He was planning to go to the merchant marines. The attack on Pearl Harbor put him in the Navy another 4 years. When the War was over he finally got to go. He went in the Merchant Marines and he told me he went around the world 23 times in all. The past few years before he retired he worked on a fire boat in the Port Author,Texas. I remember when I was a kid he always had stories to tell.
You're hilarious man and I love the music. That's not a bad kick in the pants, without the $7000 bonus, you're looking at about $9000 a month. If you just straight up go sea full time and did that same amount of OT you're looking at $108,000 a year.
A lot of people outside the industry forget about the "extra wages" I call it. These "extra wages" are all the money one saves by being on a ship. No daily gas. No daily coffee/eating out. Food, room, & board is payed for by the Company. No daily road tolls, etc etc etc.
I notice a lot of people forget to "add it all up too".
Lets use these numbers rounded off for easy math.
You made (before tax) $40,000 in 4 months. That is $10,000 per month. Let's say you want to work 8 months of the year.
8 months of the year worked = $80,000
Let's not forget about your vacation pay
Vac pay (using the numbers you said in vid) for 8 months = $20,000.
Total pay for 8 months = $100,000.
This number looks totally different after adding the vacation pay. Don't forget during these 8 months, we weren't ordering pizzas, buying a case or two of beer each week, getting pad thai, fueling our cars, paying for oil changes, putting wear and tear on our cars, etc etc etc. Then we still have 4 months off per year to enjoy our time.
This is why I'm swapping to this career (in Jan 2025). I will make a little less money than I was in my previous job, but I will have time off to enjoy life.
You got that right
no chicks, 12 hour days
Where does one apply? Where are you applying? I live in New Jersey. Thanks!
I’m thinking the same. Sick of being a corporate accountant and need a change badly!
My grandfather and his brother were in the Peruvian merchant marine when they were young. When they arrived in San Francisco, they left/jumped ship. He was in the Longshoremen union of SF. He never went back home.
Hello, I retired from the S.I.U. in Canada a couple of years ago. After a career of 46 years, wouldn't have changed a thing. In Canada your penalty premiums, we call here Danger pay. Thanks for the informative video. Good luck with your career, you won't regret it.
Thank you hope to have a long career you are inspiring
Very insightful! At a glance, some people might say its not worth it for the money. Ok, how many people who make $42k a year have eight months to themselves off the clock? Then if you were to get two tours a year, how many people who make $84k a year get four months to themselves? At $84k a year for two tours, your making well above middle class wage. Sure taxes take a bite out of it after $60k, but your making the same amount as a nerdy engineer, the average deployed military officer with a four year degree or even more than a lawyer with a eight year degree. And most of all, that can happen at the age of 21. You can literally put that off time into a business and sling shot into upper class.
Because you have time the other guys just cant have at all. Most of all, the others are likely going to drop back down to lower class when they retire, because social security and 401k aint keeping nobody in middle class. Especially if they get a chronic disease or end up drowning in severe debt (which allot do). Sure some sailor might too, but when they both hit 65, get Medicare and have this conversation at the hospital lobby, the sailor without the degree about 7 out of 10 times will outshine the other guy with a degree career.
My granddad was a merchant marine from WW2 to 1970 when I was born he was an officer and had an engineering degree his retirement was like 80 grand a year in 1980
I've worked for a Maritime transport company the past 15 years transporting crew, both american and foreign. This fits inline. We've had some crew drive for us over the years. This is a great explanation for those who are thinking to get into the industry. What I'm curious about that I haven't asked yet. I've dealt with helping to sign off foreign crew as far as customs work goes. I'd be curious to see you break down a video if you've had to sign off in a foreign country what all you have to go through when disembarking and getting to the airport. Do you have to visit a customs officer? Do they board and clear the ship and clear you on board?
Great content. I'm waiting on my medical; got my credential. I'm coming your way. Thanks Man
LETS GO
Thanks for the video. I would like to ask you to double check your Saturday/Sunday pay rate. Your weekday rate is $153.17 divided by 8 is ~$19.15 per hour, which is your Saturday/Sunday rate. I don't see an overtime boost for the Saturday/Sunday rate. Otherwise, it sounds like you enjoy your job and that is the most important point. :)
I got the impression that the overtime is for after his 8 hour workday and that the sat/sun rate was any hours worked those days (inclusive of the day rate). I could be wrong though.
Awesome. Good work, and you love it! 🇺🇸
Thank you young man for the perfectly broken down pay scale with the copy of all the numbers.
Your welcome
I had a buddy who was in the MM. He *ALSO* joined the Navy reserve. -Which as a MM, *really* only meant that once a month, he did 'sailor exercises' and once a year he checked into a Naval Yard. He was at 8 years in, already a Millionaire.at 35... His plan was 12 more years, then retire with 5 Million in the bank. -FYI: Dude *also* lived a pretty high life, -was always the guy to buy drinks for the crowd. said that his goal was always to spend 5,000 bucks on just life in between boats so that people would remember him when he got off shore.
How did he go through the navy boot camp while a MM just curious and did it interfere with his career
@@SailorDean4 THAT, I do not know. I do know that the Navy approached him (not the other way around) and he said 'sure, I'll do it'. He did imply that being the navy (for him at least) was a total joke because he didn't do anything for them besides showing up once a year.
I'm sure it can be hard on the body, and a little sketchy when a fast moving unmarked boat starts approaching in the darkness... It's definitely an adventure, but I make that much as a Wal-Mart truck driver without being stuck at sea for months on end. I'm not ashamed to say, I don't think I could do what you do. Y'all are built different!!!! I live 5 exits from my job. I could go home every night if I wanted to. The idea of that option being taken off the table feels wrong. I'm pretty spoiled but I know there's a number that could change my mind... It wouldn't make my back stop hurting but it afford me extra meds to cope.
Truck drivers make good money nothing but respect for you
@SailorDean4 My body would give out after 3 days doing your job... lol
Hey I'm a foreigner I think I want to do that too.
Could you make a video going over the steps to get to the point you are right now? Things like what courses you must take, what you must study, so on and so forth. I'm 27, I know nothing.
Thank you this is very inspiring!
Yes I will make that video for you
I’m on a tug, we see that ship here in NYC often. Now sailing with green livery as the Wallenius Wilhelmsen
great video and great channel. I'm going after Ordinary Seaman jobs now. I'm gonna try to go to tugs or Great Lakes carriers but your gig would be a lot of fun too
Rob
Good luck LETS GO
Great video. Would love to hear some stories
My uncle and several cousins were part of the merchant marines.
The only downside is that so many vessels have gone foreign flagged. They do that so they can hire foreign merchant mariners at a fraction of the pay. I looked into shipping with a union as a Wiper, the lowest engineering rating, and was told that the entry level positions had been bargained away through union collective bargaining. It can be difficult to get your foot in the door. I applied with MSC and just ended up joining the Navy when I couldn’t wait any longer. I’m glad I did, but my life took me in a different direction after my service.
Just got to live through it! There be some big seas out there and they dont look forgiving for treading in their territory!
Decent, comparable to union trades.As a marble setter in NYC local #7 my helper made 105k in 2024.
Shoot i wish I would have done that after getting out of the navy I was the paint chipping master lol
Crazy how in the merchant marine you travel all around the world but in the end your wage is based on the country you sign the contract. Same rank on the same ship type, you can earn twice as much if you sign contract in west europe vs east europe. On top of that wages have been stagnant the past 10+ years, many old sailors boast about the luxurious lifestyles compared to now.
I once worked in the maritime industry, it taught me alot about office etiquette and strangley enough how to run a business while maintaining governmental certificates.
I sailed 35 years on all kinds of ships, tankers, USNS RO-RO's, car carriers, container ships and an oceanographic ship. I loved the life and miss it
I was the ET / electrician
We are actually called MERCHANT MARINERS in the MERCHANT MARINE, UNLICENSED AND LICENSED
CAN'T sail on my US docs or I'd lose my union pension BUT have given thought to working on Canadian ships or ferries
It's important to remember that AB stands for Any Body.
Merchant marine pay is compatible to a lineman working OTR. Only difference is that the lineman has to pay for gas and food to get to work and pay for vehicle maintenance more often. The merchant marine side u eliminate those costs and are able to save more money
Rally wish one day you'll make it to rank of a Captain!
I remember starting out as a cadet (trainee) engineer in the South African Merchant Marine. Made $20/month and saved just about all of it.
I will make just over 90k for 6 months work as a 2nd cook in a Great Lakes bulk carrier. Includes the unemployment I collect when off the ship.
Hell yeah what company you with
If you don't have a family or kids who are waiting for you at home, this would make a very rewarding career
Question: How does one get compensated for an "all hands on deck" call, say for a pirate threat, fire on board, storm, or any other "all hands on deck" scenario?
It’s different pay for each situation usually Will just get some type of overtime pay that you will log on your overtime sheet
@@SailorDean4 Thanks for responding so quickly!
Congrats , you made as much as an entry level network or software tech with no degree.
Thumbs up for the right attitude.
You guys need to look at how many hours he worked and there is still a chance of his ship being attacked. It's not as easy as he makes it sound. He also worked on the deck, so it wasn't a chair job lol!
That is all true
Not bad for a relatively “entry level” pay that I presume jumps a lot as you make your way up. But you are still around $10,000/month with….. any benefits. Entry level cops and firemen, with maybe 3 years on the job, at a good or larger city Department are making Over $10K/month…. before overtime (and before promotions) with pensions, lifetime medical etc. many cops work 3 twelve hours shifts a month and most firemen work 10 x 24 hour shifts a month. It is surprising how much some “blue collar jobs” pay such as longshoremen, various positions o. Commercial trains etc pay…. Most with no need for college education or Debt 😮
That was interesting. That's for the video.
My father did merchant marine on an ammo carrier in WWII. The sister ship of his ship got torpedoed, dad said the explosion was spectacular and that he did vomit! His cousin was on that ship.
What a cool career. They don't really advertise this job to young people.
Very true trying to do that myself
WTH, You have NOTHING going into your 401K! You should be maxing that out (making that kind of money). You’ll need it, I retired at 50.
I agree!! He's not very bright if he's not maxing out his 401k.
BOSUN JOHN SUBBED MY BRO !!!!!!!!!!
LETS GO!!
On international ships ABs get $ 800 per month including vacation pay!
It all depends on which passport you have. Indians and Philipinos get lower salaries than western people.
@@jaideedave Yes because they are not humans, they are monkeys and that is why they get peanuts. That is what you like to say, that is your thought process. Just based on passport you like to support discrimination.
Great vid man! Heading to piney point in a couple weeks looking forward to it now!🙏🏽
@@carlt1997 You’ll have a great experience. It will change you life
Thanks for the transparency. Really good summary of wages. Do you normally do contract after contract? What i mean is do you work on a ship for 12 continuous minths?
I work until I wanna go home then I stay home until I wanna work again haha
@SailorDean4 that's the way I thought it worked. So I get the feeling that working 12 months straight is uncommon.
Hey great channel, do you happen to know how much a 3rd mate make??
I can’t say an exact number but company make a lot more then union both are very good pay the good part about union is they get a very good vacation check
I worked in the oil field in Alaska and averaged 10k a month working 24 weeks a year. 2 weeks at work and then 2 weeks off.
When would I get my hat?
That’s a pretty spectacular amount of money as a young man for sure…. Do they have or use Paramedics on board your ships? If so would you be willing to share where I could apply?
Most ships do not the medical operations fall to the mates but on cable ships they do have a qualified “nurse” onboard specifically for medical purposes
How many safety drills do you do a week?
Depends the ship some ships we do all fire and lifeboat drills weekly others we are very busy and just to find time for drills when we can
Damn i can't wait
Same fam! Class soon for me
What's your start date?
Is there a long intro for a MM union? Im ready to go brother...
Subbed to ya. I'm actually looking atm what I need here. Should I pay 125 USD for the TWIC and then apply for the MMC? I honestly dont know the method here. Google is awfully confusing. I just wanna go work... Any tips would be great man. Thanks.
Get those STCWs and MMC and get in that hall haha
@@SailorDean4 So the apprentice program is mandatory? Or can I test to get the license? I've got 25 years of diesel technician experience. as well as journeyman welder and machinist.
I just know certain unions are really impossible to get into without first doing their programs. Just thinking I'm a bit old to get into any apprenticeship schools.
I did see I can just apply for the Licenses. I'm going to look more into it tomorrow. Thanks for the videos. Looks like something I would enjoy.
Great video explaining how your pay is calculated. Especially considering room and board, that’s good money. I’m an ILWU longshoreman in San Francisco/Oakland. These are some of the best jobs on the planet without formal education. Work hard, pay attention and be willing to learn.
Some advice from an older guy: start paying into your 401k with the goal of maxing out every year!
How much home time do you get off in between hitches?
With the SIU I can have as much time as I want
I remember you being the head bosun at the school lol. Class 869. Time flies . Cool videos.
It really does hope your doing good
Class 392 here.
I would start contributing to some sort of retirement account for a Roth IRA so that you’ve got something to fall back on in your later years
Awesome video. I have a bachelors degree in an unrelated field and I’ve been in the army for 5 years. I’m currently enlisted. I want to become a deck officer eventually for the merchant marine. Do I have to go to an academy or just get sea time?
You can go and just get your sea time that’s what I’m doing
@ awesome, how long do you think it takes to get to those ranks like 3rd mate, 2nd mate or captain?
Bc I definitely don’t wanna go to an academy and just wanna start working out on the water haha
Hello dean can you make a video about getting unemployment after the ships? I dont think there is any video on this topic
Thanks for being so transparent! Does your vacation pay only apply to SIU graduates or to anyone dependent on company, ship, etc? I'm planning on switching careers in 2025, but will not be attending school - instead working my way up from the bottom.
If you join the SIU you will get the vacation pay you don’t need to attend the school to join the SIU
@@SailorDean4 Thanks brother! I'll be joining then!
He'll owe state income tax, presumably, as well. What's the benefits situation? For example, do you get health insurance coverage from the company, or do you have to buy that out of pocket?
That’s after state I get union benefits
Where do you live when you are on shore? I am currently a CDL truck driver but this looks like an interesting career
I live between a couple different places
Hey there, im a chief officer in a VLCC, getting my masters license. If you get 40k each contract as an AB how much your master get ? It doesn't make sense really thats crazy. Most bosuns take 2k closed salary. Not bonus or overtimes. Master in europe gets aroun 14k a month, second mate around 5 to 6.
Captain makes a lot more then I do
@SailorDean4 Can you name some companies that pay 5k basic salary to AB ? I would really love to apply.
Merchant Marines had one of highest casualty rates of anyone during World War Two
Okay, but what do you do for a place to live during your off time? Or do you go work another contract during your off time? So you never have to worry about paying rent or mortgage.
I got a place just work when I wanna work
Man that's awesome I got a GED I'm 52 I wished I did that back than
Never too late I know people who started at your age
@@SailorDean4 tempting but my wife bought 2 laundromats but dam I wished I thought of the ship life years ago ...dam boring factories and working at Walmart lol
How do u handle pirates??
I started in the offshore oil industry working on boats as a OS with a starting pay of 40.00 dollars a day. This was July 2 1979. Got my sea time at a rate of a day and a half for each day I worked and within a few months I took the test for AB and passed so my rate went from 40.00 to 55.00 dollars a day. I got enough sea time to take my Mate’s test which I passed so my rate went from 55.00 to 100.00 a day. I started working on lift boats with a starting rate from 100.00 to 200.00 dollars a day. When we had to run a crane after 600 pm we also got 15.00 for every hour of overtime. We also got double pay for certain holidays if I was working on that holiday I would get 400.00 for that holiday instead of the 200.00 pay per day. I highly recommend working in the merchant marine industry no matter ship or oilfield or push boats or offshore tugs or harbor tub. The drawbacks to working in this industry is the time away from friends and loved ones, bad weather and missing holidays. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
I was in class 359 (1982 ) now work as a Chief Engineer- 40 years in this Industry- still working.
Wow amazing
I am proof that it can be done- become an Officer- SIU is a good stepping stone
What does a chief engineer make a month?
@ hard to put an exact number on it but a lot more then me haha
In ROS at the dock- clear 13k month. At sea 40k per month
Obviously his ship quarters are paid for and I am assuming the food is free as well.
Holy shit 153@day for AB is crazy!
Lucky you. My Filipino nephew who’s a welder on a ship that goes all over the world told me that he makes only $5/hr 40 hours/week that totals to only $800=P40,000/month. He is underpaid like the workers in the Middle East.
How did you get into the industry and is it the same for Canada?
Not sure about Canada I’m gonna save how I got into the industry for another cideo
You cant add 35 and 7 ?