How much does a marine cargo surveyor make?

The average marine cargo surveyor salary in the United States is $69,272. Marine cargo surveyor salaries typically range between $30,000 and $157,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for marine cargo surveyors is $33.3 per hour. Marine cargo surveyor salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Marine cargo surveyors earn the highest average salary in Illinois.

Marine cargo surveyor salary

Q: What state pays Marine Cargo Surveyors the most?

Illinois pays Marine Cargo Surveyors the most in the United States, with an average salary of $87,298 per year, or $41.97 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a marine cargo surveyor?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a marine cargo surveyor if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Pennsylvania you should be paid close to $78,860 per year.

Average marine cargo surveyor salary

$69,272

$33.3 hourly rate

Entry-level marine cargo surveyor salary

$30,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Marine Cargo Surveyor Salary Insights

As of October 2025, the average salary for a Marine Cargo Surveyor stands at $69,272 per year, equating to approximately $33 per hour. This salary can vary based on factors such as geographic location, experience, and the specific sector in which one works.

Top Paying States

Marine Cargo Surveyors in states like California and Texas tend to earn the highest salaries. For example, in California, the average salary can exceed $80,000, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals in major shipping hubs.

Career Opportunities

Employers typically seek candidates with a degree in marine engineering or a related field, along with certifications that enhance credibility. As logistics and shipping industries continue to grow, opportunities for Marine Cargo Surveyors are expected to increase, making this a rewarding career choice.

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Marine cargo surveyor salary by:

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Where can a Marine Cargo Surveyor earn more?

Compare salary by location

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90k

70k

50k

30k

Columbus, OH$88,962

Kenner, LA$59,646

Compare salary by company

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130k

110k

90k

70k

Moran Transportation Company Inc$127,211

Sedgwick LLP$100,327

Marine cargo surveyor salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a marine cargo surveyor typically falls between $50,000 and $86,669.

zippia

$69,272yearly

glassdoor[1]

$68,078yearly

comparably[2]

$72,103yearly

Salary.com[3]

$65,659yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$76,183yearly

payscale[5]

$50,000yearly

SalaryExpert[6]

$86,669yearly

Average marine cargo surveyor salary by state

The highest-paying states for marine cargo surveyors are Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. The lowest average marine cargo surveyor salary states are Utah, Washington, and Colorado.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for marine cargo surveyors

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Alaska	$75,316	$36.21
2	Virginia	$76,754	$36.90
3	West Virginia	$73,022	$35.11
4	Illinois	$87,298	$41.97
5	Pennsylvania	$78,860	$37.91
6	Ohio	$72,882	$35.04
7	Michigan	$74,697	$35.91
8	Iowa	$78,668	$37.82
9	Delaware	$71,941	$34.59
10	Arizona	$72,654	$34.93
11	Wisconsin	$69,220	$33.28
12	California	$75,156	$36.13
13	Maine	$66,872	$32.15
14	North Carolina	$67,983	$32.68
15	Kansas	$72,969	$35.08
16	Connecticut	$70,171	$33.74
17	District of Columbia	$70,945	$34.11
18	Texas	$67,563	$32.48
19	New Mexico	$68,004	$32.69
20	Rhode Island	$68,654	$33.01
21	Mississippi	$61,656	$29.64
22	Maryland	$71,260	$34.26
23	Nevada	$65,029	$31.26
24	South Carolina	$62,955	$30.27
25	Indiana	$66,739	$32.09
26	New Hampshire	$64,866	$31.19
27	New Jersey	$69,245	$33.29
28	Kentucky	$63,765	$30.66
29	Florida	$62,314	$29.96
30	Alabama	$60,502	$29.09
31	Hawaii	$62,213	$29.91
32	Massachusetts	$67,032	$32.23
33	Louisiana	$59,658	$28.68
34	New York	$68,859	$33.11
35	Minnesota	$64,816	$31.16
36	Georgia	$60,519	$29.10
37	Oregon	$57,712	$27.75
38	Tennessee	$59,768	$28.73
39	Washington	$54,142	$26.03
40	Nebraska	$54,768	$26.33
41	North Dakota	$59,329	$28.52
42	Vermont	$61,680	$29.65
43	Arkansas	$58,105	$27.94
44	Wyoming	$49,864	$23.97
45	Oklahoma	$58,081	$27.92
46	Missouri	$57,189	$27.49
47	Idaho	$51,923	$24.96
48	South Dakota	$55,469	$26.67
49	Utah	$54,236	$26.07
50	Colorado	$52,507	$25.24
51	Montana	$50,281	$24.17

Top marine cargo surveyor jobs near you

Highest paying cities for marine cargo surveyors

The highest-paying cities for marine cargo surveyors are Chicago, IL, Naperville, IL, and Dubuque, IA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Chicago, IL	$88,962	$42.77
2	Naperville, IL	$87,820	$42.22
3	Dubuque, IA	$84,531	$40.64
4	Moline, IL	$82,441	$39.64
5	Cedar Rapids, IA	$81,246	$39.06
6	Coralville, IA	$80,677	$38.79
7	Springfield, IL	$80,323	$38.62
8	Des Moines, IA	$76,602	$36.83
9	Detroit, MI	$75,297	$36.20
10	Lansing, MI	$73,994	$35.57
11	Grand Rapids, MI	$73,013	$35.10
12	Berlin, NJ	$69,732	$33.52
13	Woodbridge, NJ	$69,278	$33.31
14	New York, NY	$69,168	$33.25
15	Sugar Land, TX	$68,100	$32.74
16	Houston, TX	$67,959	$32.67
17	Pasadena, TX	$67,936	$32.66
18	Galena Park, TX	$67,928	$32.66
19	Indianapolis, IN	$65,902	$31.68
20	Kenner, LA	$59,646	$28.68

Marine cargo surveyor salary details

A marine cargo surveyor's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $157,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average marine cargo surveyor salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a marine cargo surveyor's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$157,000	$13,083	$75
75th Percentile	$106,000	$8,833	$51
Average	$69,272	$5,773	$33
25th Percentile	$44,000	$3,667	$21
10th Percentile	$30,000	$2,500	$14

Top companies hiring marine cargo surveyors now:

Which companies pay marine cargo surveyors the most?

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Moran Transportation Company Inc	$127,211	$61.16
2	Sedgwick LLP	$100,327	$48.23

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$67,000$63,400$59,800$56,200$52,600$49,000

MaleFemale

Marine cargo surveyor salary trends

The average marine cargo surveyor salary has risen by $14,288 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average marine cargo surveyor earned $54,984 annually, but today, they earn $69,272 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for marine cargo surveyors over the last decade.

Compare marine cargo surveyor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average marine cargo surveyor salary over time

Compare marine cargo surveyor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Marine cargo surveyor salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$69,300	$33.30	+3.3%
2024	$67,000	$32.21	+2.7%
2023	$65,200	$31.34	+2.2%
2022	$63,700	$30.64	-0.1%
2021	$63,800	$30.68	+1.9%

Recently added marine cargo surveyor salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Sedgwick	Marine Surveyor, Cargo	Chicago, IL	04/23/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	Birmingham, AL	02/26/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	Charleston, SC	02/26/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	Salem, OR	02/26/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	Chicago, IL	02/26/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	Newark, NJ	02/26/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	Jacksonville, FL	02/26/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	Detroit, MI	02/26/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	New York, NY	02/26/2025	$80,000
Sedgwick	Marine Cargo Surveyor (Remote W/Travel)	Boston, MA	02/26/2025	$80,000

Marine cargo surveyor salary FAQs

What state pays Marine Cargo Surveyors the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a marine cargo surveyor?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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