Promotion decisions here run through one office figure who guards the budget. I completed a contract as junior doing a Fourth Engineer's duties and earned the promotion; the office decided I had too few months and sent me as junior for another month-long contract — the agency talked them down from two. On board I learned a letter had come saying that without another appraisal I would stay junior. Colleagues who pushed back harder got better outcomes, so negotiating is possible — but the result is unstable. I also sailed with a Filipino Third Engineer who was paid 3,800 against the 4,800 the rank pays here.
The office does try to stretch people on junior terms, but it responds to a firm position. After my junior contract they wanted a repeat; I said no and went out as Third Officer on full salary. My relief had done one cadet contract and joined straight as Third Officer on full pay. Negotiate — the first offer is not the final one.
They called me with an ETO position at 5,200 USD and I accepted. The next day they called back: since I had no gas-fleet experience, the offer was now 4,150 — below what bulk carriers pay for the rank. The company is known as an accessible entry into LPG, and that accessibility is priced in.