Risking life at Hormuz: How much do ship captains and sailors earn?

For sailors aboard oil tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz, the risks have come with an extraordinary financial reward. Some shipping companies have reportedly offered crews several months of extra salary for a single voyage through one of the world's most dangerous shipping routes.

However, the risks are real. At least 72 shipping incidents have been confirmed in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East since the US-Iran war began on February 28, with 21 seafarers killed, according to the International Maritime Organization's latest update as of September 2.

Conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea have also claimed the lives of 15 Indian seafarers, while two remain missing, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) said on August 6. It described the geopolitical situation as "extremely challenging".

So, how much are sailors actually being paid to take the risk?

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A Captain Can Earn ₹1 Crore A Month

Marine engineer Harshal Singh discussed sailors' salaries and the risks of sailing through Hormuz during a podcast, Dostcast.

According to Singh, a VLCC (very large crude carrier) captain normally earns about ₹15 lakh a month. But the pay can rise dramatically for those willing to sail through Hormuz.

"Right now they are getting paid crazy amount; like a person who was getting - a ship's captain usually gets 15 lakh a month. VLCC captain. Yes. Right now, just to sail in Hormuz, they can make Rs 1 crore in a month."

Bloomberg reported in July that Sinokor Group was offering seafarers an additional six months' salary for a round trip through Hormuz. The voyage involved picking up oil from either Saudi Arabia or Iraq and unloading it in the Gulf of Oman. The company estimated the round trip would take about a month.

Other companies were also offering large bonuses. Some shipping firms were reportedly adding as much as 60 days of salary to a 30-day contract.

The highest-paid person on most ships is the captain. Bloomberg reported that oil-tanker captains can earn as much as $15,000 a month in normal circumstances. Junior sailors, or ratings, might earn around $1,500 a month.

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What Sailors Normally Earn

Industry salaries vary by vessel and rank.

According to Maritime Zone's 2026 container-ship data, the average monthly salary for a master or captain is $11,508. A chief engineer earns $11,561, while a chief officer earns $9,230.

A second engineer earns $9,265. A second officer earns $4,616, while a third engineer earns $4,605 and a third officer $3,919. An able seaman earns an average $2,178 a month.

Maritime Zone describes these as current-year industry average monthly salaries, not regulatory minimums.

Data from Skipi Vacancy Index's June 2026 edition, which analyses actual advertised vacancies, shows how much salaries can differ by vessel.

A master on a general cargo or coaster vessel had an advertised salary of $7,920 a month. For a crude tanker, the figure was $13,500, while masters on LPG carriers were offered $16,000.

For able seamen, the median advertised salary was $1,880 a month on general cargo and coaster vessels, compared with $2,400 on crude tankers.

The danger premium for Hormuz is therefore potentially several times a sailor's normal monthly salary.
The Price Of A Dangerous Voyage

The incentives are not limited to salaries. Shipowners can make millions of dollars by taking vessels through Hormuz. Insurers have also increased premiums for vessels transiting the waterway.

But the crews face the most direct personal risk.

Captain Pradeep Chawla, chairman of GlobalMET, a body that works with the International Maritime Organization to promote seafarer training and education, told Bloomberg: "They are being offered huge bonuses by some companies."

Some sailors have still refused to go. But companies have been able to find others willing to take the risk.
Captains also have the ultimate say on navigational decisions. Sailors have the right to ask to leave a vessel and be replaced if they do not want to enter a danger zone.

When A Drone Hits A Ship

In the podcast, the marine engineer described what happens when a ship comes under attack.

"This is from the Strait of Hormuz. Now this is a drone coming to hit the. This (drone) is a whole fighter jet, and the ship is full of oil, and if it hits...It's finished," he said while watching the footage of a drone strike. 
He then described the injuries suffered by one sailor. "When the drone struck, the ship was full of...His face is completely burnt. His hand is completely burnt. His leg is burnt."

There is another problem once a sailor is injured. "We do not have doctors on ships," Singh said. Ships can have officers with some medical training, but they are not fully trained medical professionals.

Who Pays For The Injuries?

Sailors are covered by insurance, although the exact compensation depends on the company and the nature of the accident.

Singh said protection and indemnity, or P&I, clubs handle the insurance component. Separate coverage can apply when a casualty occurs.

"And depending on the kind of accident that has happened or what you have suffered, you will get money. So they get compensated," he said.

But compensation cannot erase the consequences of a serious injury. "I don't know how he will wake up and look at his own face every day," the engineer said.

Why Sinokor Matters

The biggest story may not just be about sailors' salaries. It is also about who owns the ships willing to enter Hormuz.

Sinokor is a Korean-owned company, which Singh said had accumulated a large fleet of ships before the war. He said the company went on a buying spree between November and January, before there was widespread expectation of a US-Iran war.

"They bought somewhere around 75 to 76 VLCCs, which is a huge number of ships; no one has ever seen why someone would buy so many ships all of a sudden in 3 months."

Sinokor spent about $6 billion acquiring the VLCCs, the engineer said. "Sinoker first bought all the VLCCs for 6 billion dollars. They wiped out the VLCCs from the market."

More importantly, he said, the ships were positioned around Hormuz even before the war began. "And even before the war started, they didn't just buy ships; they positioned all of them exactly around Hormuz."

That has given the company an unusual position in the market. Singh said many of the ships moving back and forth through the area are either owned or operated by Sinokor or hired by other shipowners. "These are mostly Sinoker ships that are facing constant drone and missile attacks."

Other shipowners are reluctant to risk their vessels in the same way, according to the marine engineer. "All the ships are the same. Other ship owners don't want to risk their vessels. They took a gamble by buying the ships, regardless of the rates they were getting."

He said Sinokor paid heavily to acquire the vessels rather than buying them cheaply. "They threw a lot of money at it to acquire the ships. Probably, in the last five months, they have already made back the amount they spent on the ships."