How to get into Merchant Navy? Find Career Prospects & Salary Here!
A career in Merchant Navy can be most beneficial if you are looking for lucrative jobs. There are three modes of entry into the field. Find dtails below!
Heard about this amazing and high-paying job from your friends that not only allows you to earn while you are studying but also opens up a lot of traveling opportunities. Merchant Navy can be the best field for you if you want to earn big and traveling through oceans for months does not bother you.
Merchant navy is a fleet of ships that is responsible for transporting heavy goods from one country to another. It is one of the essential parts of international trade as most of the import and export is done through ships.
A career in Merchant Navy can be most beneficial if you are looking for lucrative jobs. There are three modes of entry into the field. You can join Merchant Navy at any level starting after class 10 to graduation. Let’s find out the career path and opportunities in this field:
Following are the Merchant Navy Courses that you can apply for:
1. Admission through entrance exams and merit:
If you want to apply for technical courses for entering Merchant Navy, then you will have to appear for entrance exams. Exams like IMU CET, JEE Advanced, MERI Entrance Exam, TMISAT, etc. are conducted for admission to marine engineering programmes after class 12. However, there are a few colleges that also take students on the basis of marks secured in class 12.
2. Sponsorship based entry:
Entry is also possible if you apply to either of the popular maritime institutes for maritime programmes. You can apply for sponsorships at the institutes started by shipping companies to train potential candidates for the merchant navy. The sponsorship to go on a ship will be provided to you by this company only if you have completed a course from their institute. You can also apply for multiple sponsorships at different companies.
3. Lateral Entry (LE) into 2nd year of Marine Engineering:
Direct Admission can also be taken into the second year of marine engineering programmes approved by the Directorate General of Shipping. There are two ways of securing LE seats in Marine Engineering programmes:
- After completing the first year of engineering from electrical or mechanical branch with minimum 60% and
- Pursuing a diploma in electrical, mechanical, marine or ship-building engineering with minimum 60% aggregate marks
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Career opportunities and expected salaries in the field of Merchant Navy:
| Profile | Qualification | Field Requisite | Average Salary (approx.) |
| G P Rating | Class 10 | 4 + 2 months of pre-sea course | Rs. 25,000 to 60,000 per month |
| Trainee Cadet | Class 12 along with pre-sea Nautical Diploma | 1 year pre-sea course | Rs. 25,000 to 85,000 per month |
| Deck Cadet | Class 12 along with pre-sea Nautical Diploma | 18 months of service at sea as deck cadet | Rs. 25,000 to 85,000 per month |
| 3rd Officer/ 2nd Officer | 2nd Mate (FG) Certificate of Competency | 18 months of service at sea as 2nd or 3rd officer | Rs. 1,50,000 to 3,00,000 per month |
| Chief Officer | 1st Mate (FG) Certificate of Competency | 18 months of service at sea as chief officer | Rs. 4,00,000 to 6,00,000 per month |
| Captain | Master (FG) Certificate of Competency | 4 to 5 years of experience in the industry | Rs. 8,65,000 to 20,00,000 per month |
Sailors serving in merchant navy get tax free salaries if they spend 183 days of a year in international waters else the salary is taxable as per the laws of the Government of India.
Also Read:Marine Engineering: Career Guide, Exams and Colleges
Merchant Navy being a field that required exhaustive traveling, there are well paying off-shore options that one can look into after taking an early retirement from the job or on completion of the contract.