Oiler
| Highest | $5,050 / mo · Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Experience | 2–4 yrs |
| Degree | Required |
| First paycheck | 1–3 months training + 6–12 months sea time (paid from first contract) |
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 | $5,050max |
| Hong KongIELTS 6.0–6.5 · HK–200k | $4,550 |
| SingaporeIELTS 6.5 · SGD 18–35k | $4,550 |
| United KingdomIELTS 6.0–7.0 · £11–38k | $4,550 |
| NorwayIELTS 6.0–6.5 · NOK 130–260k | $4,500 |
| United StatesTOEFL 80–100 · $10–70k | $4,400 |
What does the day look like?
An oiler works in the machinery spaces of deep-sea commercial vessels such as container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers. Daily duties involve standing engine watch rounds on two-stroke main engines (MAN Energy Solutions B&W, WinGD/Sulzer) and four-stroke auxiliary generators (Wärtsilä, Yanmar, Daihatsu). You log temperatures, pressures, and fluid levels from analogue gauges and digital sensors, dismantle and de-sludge fuel oil purifiers (Alfa Laval, GEA Westfalia), wash duplex fuel filters, operate oily water separators (OWS) under the MARPOL Annex I 15 ppm limit, drop manual brass sounding tapes into bunker tanks, and assist in pulling pistons using pneumatic impact wrenches and engine cranes.
Vessels with manned engine rooms run a 4-on/8-off watch routine (such as 04:00 to 08:00 and 16:00 to 20:00), while automated vessels (UMS) operate day shifts from 08:00 to 17:00 with on-call alarm duties. The statutory working week is 48 hours, but guaranteed overtime extends actual hours to 60 to 72 hours per week. Machinery spaces maintain continuous ambient temperatures between 35°C and 45°C and noise levels of 90 dB to 110 dB. Sightseeing accounts for under 5% of time, while over 95% consists of hot, greasy, physically demanding maintenance.
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