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Ship Captain salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a ship captain is $175,000 per annum, before tax, up $36,100 since 2018.
- Pay moves with the vessel and the trade: tonnage, route, type of cargo and whether the operator is covered by an enterprise agreement all change the number.
- The level of certificate matters too, since an unlimited master's endorsement allows command of larger ships than a near-coastal qualification.
- Away-from-home allowances and leave arrangements are usually part of the package rather than the base rate, so two masters holding the same certificate can be on quite different total pay.
The median salary rose by $36,100 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
How to negotiate a higher ship captain salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time ship captain salary is $175,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Ship Captains are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Driving and transport operations and Operations management tend to command a premium over general ship captain experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Ship Captain salary questions
How much do ship captains earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a ship captain is $175,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is ship captain pay rising or falling?
The median ship captain salary is up $36,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
Related salaries
- Marine Pilot salary
- Harbour Master salary
- Marine Surveyor salary
- Vessel Traffic Service Operator salary
- Deck Officer salary
- Deckhand salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.