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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.

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

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