Written for seafarers Reviewed for accuracy by crew who have stood the watch.
Since 1 January 2026, the minimum basic wage for an able seafarer is USD 690 per month. The number comes from the ILO Joint Maritime Commission, the body behind what the ILO describes as the only internationally agreed minimum wage for a single profession: ours. Two more steps are already agreed. USD 704 follows in 2027, USD 715 in 2028.
One number, and it decides a lot at the gangway. Manning agents quote it. Collective agreements build on it. A contract that quietly sits below it costs an AB real money, month after month, for the length of a nine-month contract.
What the 690 covers, and what it does not
Basic means basic. The 690 does not include overtime, leave pay, or allowances. MLC 2006 Guideline B2.2.2 says overtime should be paid at no less than 1.25 times the basic hourly rate. Paid annual leave accrues at a minimum of 2.5 calendar days per month under MLC Standard A2.4. On a properly run ship, total monthly earnings for an AB end up well above the basic figure.
Watch the wording "all inclusive". A contract offering "690 all inclusive" is a much worse deal than 690 basic plus overtime plus leave. Same number on paper. Very different money at sign-off.
Who sets the figure, and where it binds
The ILO Joint Maritime Commission negotiates the figure between shipowner and seafarer representatives and reviews it on a regular cycle. MLC 2006 carries it as guidance: Guideline B2.2.4 says the basic pay for a calendar month of service for an able seafarer should not be less than the amount the Commission sets. The ITF uses the same figure as its reference floor, and ITF-approved collective agreements start above it.
Strictly speaking, a guideline is not a hard rule. Some flag states write the figure into law, others do not. That is exactly why the wage clause in your own SEA matters so much: what you can enforce later is what is written there, checked against your rank and the CBA named in the contract. Port state control officers read it the same way.
Five minutes with your own contract
Take the wage annex of your SEA and look for four things.
- A basic monthly wage, stated as a number, for your rank.
- An overtime rate, and whether hours beyond the fixed monthly overtime are paid extra.
- Leave pay: at least 2.5 days per month, and not "included" in the basic.
- An allotment clause, so part of the wage reaches your family at home while you are on board.
Silence counts too. A contract that names no basic wage, or hides it inside a lump sum, fails MLC Standard A2.2, which requires wages paid at least monthly with a monthly account of what was paid.
The wage floor also has a sibling rule at the start of the chain: recruitment must be free for the seafarer. If an agency charged you for the job that pays this wage, read Manning Agency Fees: What They Can Charge You, and What They Cannot.
If you want the full clause by clause picture, run the contract through our free MLC Contract Check. Upload the SEA, pick your flag state, and you get a color-coded report against MLC 2006 and the ITF benchmarks in about a minute. No account needed.
Crew questions
Is USD 690 my total monthly salary?
No. It is the minimum basic wage for an able seafarer. Overtime, leave pay and allowances come on top. Total earnings for an AB under a decent agreement are clearly higher.
Does the floor apply on every ship?
Not automatically. It binds where a flag state has written it into law or where a CBA adopts it. On other ships it is the recognized reference the ITF and port state inspectors work with. Your enforceable number is the one in your signed SEA.
My rank is not AB. What is my floor?
The ILO publishes the figure for the AB rank only. Other ranks scale from it through the CBA wage tables. Check the wage annex for your rank and compare it against the CBA named in your contract.
What if my basic wage is below the floor?
Before signing: ask the agent to state the basic wage in writing and compare it to the 2026 figure. Already on board: keep your wage statements, note the shortfall, and use the on-board complaint procedure under MLC Regulation 5.1.5. Unpaid or underpaid wages are the most actionable complaint there is, and both the ITF and your flag state treat them as priority cases.
Sources
ILO: new minimum monthly wage for seafarers and ITF: new minimum wage for seafarers around the world. The wage rubric of our contract checker uses the same figures.
7SHORT1LONG® is a Seafarer Identity Brand. We built the free MLC Contract Check because a wage clause should not need a lawyer to be readable. From crew. For crew. YES, WE ARE CREW.
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