Q. What is a Merchant Navy job?

Ans: Merchant Navy job is a specialized job engaged in commercial activities, including transporting passengers and goods through the sea route. It is not a government job.

Q. What is the highest salary in the Merchant Navy?

Ans: The highest salary in the Merchant Navy is for the post of Captain which is around Rs. 8,65,000 to 20,00,000 per month.

Q. How can I join the merchant navy?

Ans: You can join the merchant navy after passing 10th or 12th depending upon the post you wish to apply for. For higher posts, candidates need graduation in their respective fields preferably in Engineering or Marine Engineering.

Q. Is Merchant Navy a good career?

Ans: Merchant Navy offers a lucrative career for the young aspirants looking for an adventurous life with a high pay.

Merchant Navy Salary in India, Job Profile and Career Growth

Table of Contents

Have you heard about the Merchant Navy Salary? What does a Merchant Nave job offer? It is a specialized industry that focuses on commercial activities on the sea routes including the transportation of passengers and goods. Merchant Navy is different from the Indian Navy, which is responsible for guarding the seas around the Indian Ocean and helping friendly countries. Its main purpose is to deal in private trade. Let us understand more about the Merchant Navy job profile and salary in this post.

Merchant Navy Entrance Exam & Merchant Navy Qualification

Merchant Navy can be the best career option for young candidates who want to earn well and like travelling across oceans and seas for months. A merchant navy is a fleet of ships (merchant’s vessels) that is responsible for transporting goods from one country to another. Transportation of these goods brings lucrative profits which are then shared across stakeholders. Candidates can join the Merchant Navy anytime after class 10th or even after graduation.

The following courses can help those who dream of joining the Merchant Navy.

Admission Processes for Getting into the Merchant Navy

Through Entrance Exam And Merit

If candidates wish to apply for technical courses then he/she must appear for the entrance exam which is conducted after the 12th class. These are some of the exams:

IMU CET
JEE Advanced
MERI Entrance Exam
TMI SAT

Entry by Sponsorship-based Programs

The sponsorship to travel on a ship is going to be provided to you by the corporation through which you apply as long as you’ve completed a course at their institute. You can also apply for multiple sponsorships at different companies. For this, you can look for institutes started by shipping companies which train potential candidates for merchant navy.

Entry in the 2nd year of Marine Engineering

After completing 1st year of engineering with an electrical or mechanical branch with a minimum of 60% marks, you can be eligible for admission. A diploma in electrical, mechanical, marine, or ship-building engineering with a minimum of 60% aggregate marks is also acceptable.

Direct admission can also be taken into the second year of marine engineering programs approved by the Directorate General of Shipping. These are called Lateral Entries.

Merchant Navy

The Merchant Navy consists of various profiles based on the educational qualifications of the candidates. It consists of the posts of Cadets and Officers and hence, the Merchant Navy salary will range from 25,000 per month to 20 lakhs per month. Check out the Merchant Navy Salary Merchant Navy based on the various profiles.

Merchant Navy Salary
Merchant Navy Profile	Qualification	Merchant Navy Salary (approx.)
G P Rating	Class 10	Rs. 25,000 to 60,000 per month
Trainee Cadet	Class 12 along with a pre-sea Nautical Diploma	Rs. 25,000 to 85,000 per month
Deck Cadet	Class 12 along with a pre-sea Nautical Diploma	Rs. 25,000 to 85,000 per month
3rd Officer/ Merchant navy 2nd officer salary in India	2nd Mate (FG) Certificate of Competency	Rs. 1,50,000 to 3,00,000 per month
Chief Officer	1st Mate (FG) Certificate of Competency	Rs. 4,00,000 to 6,00,000 per month
Merchant Navy Captain salary per month	Master (FG) Certificate of Competency	Rs. 8,65,000 to 20,00,000 per month

What are the courses to opt for Merchant Navy?

To pursue a career in the Merchant Navy, you can opt for the various courses available. Here is the list of courses that you can pursue after the 10th or 12th for a career in the Navy.

Merchant Navy Courses
B.Tech Marine Engineering	B.Tech Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering
B.Tech Harbour & Ocean Engineering	G.P Rating
Marine Engineering under Alternate Training Scheme	BBA Shipping
M.B.A. Shipping & Logistics Management	Higher National Diploma (Nautical Science)
MBA Shipping Finance	B.E Harbour and Ocean Engineering
Diploma in Marine Engineering (DME)	Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS)
B.B.A. Logistics & Supply Chain Management	Higher National Diploma (Marine Engineering)
B.Tech Ship Building	B.E Marine Engineering
B.E. Mechanical Engineering	ETO (Electro-Technical Officer)
B.Sc Nautical Science	Electro-Technical Officer Course

Career Growth in the Merchant Navy

A career in the Merchant Navy is full of adventure and experiences. The candidates selected are first given the post of a Deck Cadet. In this position, he/she learns all the basic things about the merchant navy how it works, what day-to-day responsibilities are to be fulfilled, and how to be accountable for the job assigned. The deck cadets slowly make their way up the hierarchy and reach very prestigious designations available in this line of work. The career progression of a merchant navy officer is given below.

Deck Cadet
Third Officer
Second Officer
Chief Officer
Captain

What is the Lifestyle in the Merchant Navy?

Maritime professional lifestyle is different from other professions and is not a usual 9 to 5 job. Some of the main aspects of a merchant Navy professional include:

The people in the Merchant navy get a chance to travel the world and explore new places.
Most of the income earned by the seafarers is tax-free and hence, a lot of money is saved by the professionals. Also, the company takes the food and other costs, so there is no cost of living in the sea.
Merchant Navy will guarantee you an adventurous life and you are an explorer willing to work in an adventurous environment.
The demerit of the Merchant Navy is that there is no social life and the people have to stay away from their families for months.

Merchant Navy Salaries in India

Merchant Navy is the highest paying job in the country. The salary for the Merchant Navy officer is different for every profession which is based on the rank of the candidate, the type of ship they are working on, and the company they are employed with. Some of the officers’ salary description is mentioned below.

Merchant Navy Salary Second Engineer

A second engineer is responsible for managing the engine department and ensuring the smooth operation of the ship’s engines. The starting salary for a second engineer in India is around Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 1.5 lakhs per month.

Merchant Navy Salary Chief Engineer

The chief engineer is the highest-ranking officer in the engine department and is responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of the ship’s engines and machinery. The starting salary for a chief engineer in India is around Rs. 1.5 lakhs to Rs. 2.5 lakhs per month.