The 2024 Danica Crewing Specialists’ Seafarer Survey confirms that seafarer salaries are still on the rise—albeit at a slower pace than in 2023—particularly for highly sought-after ranks.
Encouragingly, crew retention has improved over the past year, thanks in part to salary increases, according to Danica’s annual Crew Managers’ Survey. Nearly 90% of in-house crew managers from ship-owning and ship management companies reported raising salaries in 2024, with only 7% saying they had not. Wage hikes were generally higher than those recorded in 2023, except for junior ratings.
Improved Retention, but Recruitment Challenges Remain
The survey found that seafarer turnover has declined, with 41% of crew managers reporting improved retention over the past 12 months—up from 29% in the previous survey. Meanwhile, 23% of respondents indicated that retention had worsened, though this figure marks an improvement from 36% in 2023/24.
Despite positive retention trends, recruitment challenges persist. While fewer respondents reported worsening hiring conditions, 31% still found it more difficult to attract competent seafarers than in the previous year. Danica CEO Henrik Jensen noted: “This indicates that the issue is not a shortage of seafarers overall, but rather a shortage of skilled and competent professionals.”
Survey Insights from Global Crewing Managers
Danica’s survey gathered responses from crew managers across various company sizes and geographic locations, with strong participation from Greece, the UAE, Denmark, and Germany. Most respondents held senior positions in crewing departments, and 83% had over six years of industry experience. Notably, the survey saw an increase in participants from larger crewing departments compared to 2023.
Danica, a leading crewing service provider, maintains a database of nearly 70,000 applicants, primarily from Eastern Europe, India, and the Philippines.
Five Years of Crewing Market Trends
Now in its fifth year, Danica’s annual survey provides valuable insights into seafarers’ employment conditions and industry trends. Data for the 2024 survey was collected between May and October from Danica’s global database and the broader shipping industry.
Henrik Jensen emphasized the value of these insights: “As the saying goes, ‘The devil is in the detail.’ We are pleased to share the results and analyses of our 2024 Seafarers’ Survey with our maritime colleagues. We hope it will serve as a useful tool for refining HR-marine strategies and understanding the current crew employment landscape.”
Crew Managers Face Increasing Workload
While salaries are rising and retention is improving, 70% of crew managers reported that their jobs have become more demanding over the past year. Many find their roles more complex than even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Danica’s Crew Managers’ Survey serves as a valuable counterpart to the company’s Seafarers’ Survey, which collected feedback from more than 6,000 crew members. Jensen highlighted the growing pressures in the crewing sector:
“With shortages in key ranks affecting recruitment and salaries continuing to rise, navigating the crewing sector is becoming increasingly complex. Outsourcing crew management to a professional service provider like Danica can relieve the burden on in-house staff, allowing them to focus on strategic priorities.”
