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Job Vacancies in China's Merchant Marine

Maritime Activity Reports, Inc.

July 31, 2012

Senior officer shortages in China have become serious, numbering more than 50,000 vacancies

According to statistics from the Qingdao human resource and social security department, high-level shipping personnel’s average annual salary in China has climbed to around RMB200,000 ($31,000) with undergraduate crew earning around RMB70,000 a year ($11,000).

The biggest reason for the shortage despite the high salary is the “old thoughts” towards a career at sea according to an expert from a Chinese maritime school saying many people still believed that it is not safe, sailors cannot get home for long periods and the social status of seaman is not high.

With the advent of fuel transition, digitalization, AI and autonomy, innovation in vessel design and operation proceeds at unprecedented speed.
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