Chief officer
| Highest | $10,500 / mo · Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Experience | 5+ yrs |
| Degree | Required |
| First paycheck | Stipend during cadetship; full salary after 3-4 years of study |
Pay in the destination countries
Monthly, in US dollars. Each country is an Imora admission package — open one for that route's fees, language requirement and deadline.
| Country | Monthly |
|---|---|
| SwitzerlandIELTS 6.5 · CHF 0.9–8k | $10,500max |
| Hong KongIELTS 6.0–6.5 · HK–200k | $9,500 |
| SingaporeIELTS 6.5 · SGD 18–35k | $9,500 |
| United KingdomIELTS 6.0–7.0 · £11–38k | $9,500 |
| NorwayIELTS 6.0–6.5 · NOK 130–260k | $9,400 |
| United StatesTOEFL 80–100 · $10–70k | $9,200 |
What does the day look like?
The Chief Mate serves as second-in-command and head of the vessel's deck department. At sea, you stand the traditional "4-to-8" navigation bridge watch twice daily (04:00 to 08:00 and 16:00 to 20:00), operating ECDIS, marine radar/ARPA, AIS, and gyrocompasses. In port, you supervise cargo loading and discharge operations, frequently working continuous 12-hour to 18-hour shifts or broken 6-on/6-off port watches.
While popular perception imagines steering into storms, manual navigation takes less than 15% of your time. In reality, 50% of the role involves calculating cargo stowage, ballast, draft, trim, and stability limits using loading computers like Onboard Loadicator, Seacos, or MACS3, alongside safety administration. Managing deck crew maintenance with the Bosun takes 25%, and routine bridge watchkeeping takes the remaining 25%. The work involves nighttime port operations, zero fixed weekends, and 4-month to 6-month continuous tours at sea.
Where does this lead?
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