What a Ferry Crew Member payslip looks like
A typical UK ferry crew member payslip is paid monthly and shows a basic pay line at the top. Ratings and deck, engine and catering crew who operate passenger and vehicle ferries on equal-time rotas. The line items below depend on grade, shift pattern and contractual additions, but the structure usually mirrors HMRC's recommended payslip layout: a payments block, a deductions block, a year-to-date column, and a net pay summary.
Common employers in this occupation include CalMac and NorthLink, Wightlink and Red Funnel, Mersey and Irish Sea operators. Each employer runs payroll slightly differently, but the underlying PAYE computation against tax code 1257L and Class 1 National Insurance is identical across the UK (excluding Scotland for income tax). The biggest variability between two ferry crew member payslips at the same gross will be in the additions block: UK-domestic crew get a standard PAYE payslip; crew on qualifying foreign-going voyages may claim the Seafarers' Earnings Deduction (100% relief) via self-assessment with a detailed days-outside-UK log. Equal-time rotas consolidate unsocial hours into the rate; union dues are deducted by check-off.
Year-to-date columns are critical to verify on this role because the additions and salary sacrifice items change month to month. If your YTD gross divided by months elapsed in the tax year does not match your expected annual run-rate, that is the single best signal that something is mis-coded.
Applies to some of this work
Seafarers' Earnings Deduction and ferry crew member pay
The timetable decides this, not the rank. Crossings that call at a port outside the UK, such as the short sea routes to France and the Low Countries or a run into Dublin, count as duties performed abroad. A sailing that never extends beyond a UK port does not: the Clyde and Hebridean network, the Northern Isles, the Solent and the Thames are all domestic water for this, and section 382(2) treats those duties as performed in the UK however far you steamed. Passing the route test is only half of it, because an equal time rota that puts you home in your own bed at midnight every other fortnight will not build 365 days of absence either way.
- Rate of the deduction
- 100%
- Shortest eligible period
- 365 days
Educational only. Whether this reaches your own pay turns on your contract and how you are engaged, and tribunal and claim time limits are short. Check the limit that applies to you before relying on a date.
Seafarers' Earnings Deduction: the rates, the payslip lines, what goes wrong and the 31 primary sources. Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, Part 5, Chapter 6 (sections 378 to 385), with the meaning of "offshore installation" taken from section 1001 of the Income Tax Act 2007, in force 6 April 2011 and 15 March 2018, the two dated changes confirmed from source.
Ferry Crew Member salary bands (UK 2024)
ONS ASHE 2024 full-time gross pay. Net figures use 2026/27 PAYE bands and assume 5% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270) under a net-pay arrangement — before income tax, but not before National Insurance.
| Band | Gross / year | Net / year | Net / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | £26,000 | £21,449 | £1,787 |
| Median | £30,000 | £24,169 | £2,014 |
| 75th percentile | £36,000 | £28,249 | £2,354 |
Common deductions for a Ferry Crew Member
- PAYE income tax.Calculated against tax code 1257L. Cumulative coding means refunds can appear if you start mid-year.
- National Insurance (Class 1).8% between £12,570 and £50,270 of annual earnings, then 2% above. Period-by-period method is standard.
- Pension.Auto-enrolment minimum 5% employee on qualifying earnings (£6,240 - £50,270), unless your employer runs a more generous scheme such as the NHS, Teachers Pension or Civil Service alpha.
- Salary sacrifice patterns.Common in this occupation: cycle-to-work, electric-car salary sacrifice, additional pension contributions, and where applicable workplace nursery vouchers (still tax-efficient via pre-existing schemes).
- Union or professional body.Tax-deductible for HMRC-listed bodies. Ferry Crew Members commonly hold subscriptions covered by section 344 ITEPA 2003 (List 3).
Ferry Crew Member payslip FAQ
What is the average Ferry Crew Member salary in the UK in 2024?
According to ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024 for SOC code 8230, the median full-time gross annual salary for a Ferry Crew Member in the UK is approximately £30,000. The 25th percentile sits at £26,000 and the 75th at £36,000.
What is take-home pay on a median Ferry Crew Member salary?
On £30,000 gross with the standard 1257L tax code and 5% of qualifying earnings into a net-pay pension, monthly take-home is approximately £2,014 after PAYE income tax, Class 1 employee National Insurance and auto-enrolment pension. Actual figures vary if you have student loan, salary sacrifice or a non-cumulative tax code.
What is unusual about a Ferry Crew Member payslip?
UK-domestic crew get a standard PAYE payslip; crew on qualifying foreign-going voyages may claim the Seafarers' Earnings Deduction (100% relief) via self-assessment with a detailed days-outside-UK log. Equal-time rotas consolidate unsocial hours into the rate; union dues are deducted by check-off.
Which tax code should a Ferry Crew Member typically be on?
Most people in this role on standard PAYE will see 1257L. Check the prefix and suffix carefully: a K-prefix means deductions exceed your allowance (often after a bonus or P11D benefit), 0T means you have no allowance left at this employer, and BR means basic rate on the whole job (common in second jobs).
Related roles
Salary estimates: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024, full-time gross annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation. Figures rounded to nearest £100.