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 2 ^nd 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

Also Read: Find out the Career Prospects & Government Jobs after Studying Economics

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
3 ^rd Officer/ 2 ^nd Officer	2 ^nd Mate (FG) Certificate of Competency	18 months of service at sea as 2 ^nd or 3 ^rd officer	Rs. 1,50,000 to 3,00,000 per month
Chief Officer	1 ^st 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.

Are you feeling lost and unsure about what career path to take after completing 12th standard?

Say goodbye to confusion and hello to a bright future!

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Does LPU provide good placements?

-Updated on November 13, 2025 11:13 PM

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Vidushi Sharma, Student / Alumni

Yes, LPU offers exceptional placement opportunities. In 2024, the highest domestic package reached ₹64 LPA, while the highest international package went up to ₹3 crore per annum. Over 1,500 reputed companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Infosys, participated in the placement drive, extending more than 6,000 job offers. LPU also conducts dedicated placement training programs that include specialized courses, mock interviews, and skill enhancement sessions to prepare students for top recruiters.

Is LPU really expensive for middle-class students?

-Naveen ShahUpdated on November 12, 2025 11:31 PM

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Anmol Sharma, Student / Alumni

LPU's overall cost can be managed well by middle-class students due to its extensive scholarship program. While the base tuition fee may seem high, strong performance in the mandatory LPUNEST exam or good academic scores can yield a significant fee waiver (up to 60% or more). This dramatically lowers the effective cost, making the world-class education and infrastructure accessible and affordable. LPU also assists with education loan options.

I want to prepare for LPUNEST 2026 btech and I am actually worried about which type of questions will come in this exam, hard or easy

-tanisha kaurUpdated on November 12, 2025 01:51 PM

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Mansi arora, Student / Alumni

Don’t stress about LPUNEST! The exam isn’t too hard, it’s more about testing your understanding of the basics from Physics, Chemistry, Math, or Biology (depending on your stream). If you’ve studied well in school, you’ll find it pretty manageable. Plus, LPU provides sample papers to help you prep confidently!