Wages

Pay Rates This section outlines the rates of pay for Naval sailors in a late campaign. For merchant sailors, double the wages. Bear in mind that the low naval wages reflect the fact that a naval crew is entailed to a share in any prize money, whereas a merchant crew is not. The crew of a privateer would typically be paid a wage somewhere between the Naval and Merchant rate, depending on the share of any prize money they would be entitled to.

Yearly Wage Landsman £12 Ordinary Seaman £13 Able Seaman £20 Petty Officers £25-35 Master £100 Surgeons £168 Ship's Carpenter £70 Ship's Gunner £58 Ship's Bosun £58 Midshipman £30 Lieutenant £130 Commander £250 Captain (1st Rate) £500.00 Captain (6th Rate) £180 Nobleman £5000-25,000 Colonial Governor £1000-5000 Member of the Gentry £1000-5000 Office holding lawyer £1000 Army Colonel £365 Army Major £230 Yeoman Farmer or Plantation Owner £40-250 Army Captain £146 Doctor £120 Justice of the Peace £63 Army Lieutenant £73 Court Poet £50-60 Army Sergeant £54 Low ranking clergy £10-50 Skilled craftsman £30 Sculptor £20-100 Skilled labourer £16-18 Apothecary £10-15 Army Soldier £15 Unskilled labourer £12 Agricultural worker £10-13 Male Teacher £12 Female Teacher £8 Subsistence Farmer £6 Woman Labourer £5 Militiaman £4 Servant £2 plus food and lodgings