The global shipping industry depends on two powerful forces. One is the seafarers working onboard vessels. The other is the shore-based professionals who manage operations, compliance, crewing, safety, training, and commercial activities.

While seafarer data is widely studied, reliable insights about shore staff working in maritime companies have always been limited.

This is where the Shore Staff Survey by ISF Group becomes extremely valuable.

The report provides deep insights into the structure, compensation, and workforce trends of shore-based maritime professionals. It is designed to help maritime companies make better decisions about hiring, compensation, workforce planning, and organizational structure.

For maritime leaders, this report acts as a strategic benchmark for managing shore-based teams more effectively.

The Hidden Engine Behind Shipping Operations

Every ship sailing across the ocean is supported by a team on land.

Shore staff manage critical functions such as crewing, technical management, safety compliance, training, procurement, accounts, IT, and operations.

These teams ensure vessels operate safely, comply with regulations, and perform efficiently.

Despite their importance, the industry often lacks structured data about shore-based workforce trends. Without reliable data, companies often make these decisions based on assumptions.

The Shore Staff Survey helps remove that uncertainty.

What the Survey Covers

The survey analyzes shore-based workforce data from maritime companies managing thousands of vessels and seafarers.

It examines how organizations are structured and how different departments function within shipping companies. The report covers several key areas such as:

1. Organizational Structure

The survey explains how maritime companies structure their shore-based operations.

It looks at the primary operational pillars that drive shipping companies. It also explores the supporting functions such as finance, HR, IT, procurement, and administration.

The report shows how these departments interact and how organizational design changes as companies grow.

This helps companies understand how to structure their teams more effectively.

2. Department-Level Workforce Insights

The report provides detailed analysis of several major departments, including:

• Manning and crewing
• Technical management
• Safety and quality
• Training
• Procurement
• Finance and accounts
• Information technology
• Administrative functions

For each department, the survey examines workforce size, background of employees, and operational roles.

This allows companies to understand how other maritime organizations build and manage their shore teams.

3. Compensation and Salary Benchmarking

One of the most valuable parts of the survey is the salary benchmarking data.

The report provides insights into compensation levels across different shore-based roles in the maritime industry.

This includes salary distribution, wage dispersion, and compensation patterns across departments. With accurate benchmarking, companies can design fair and competitive salary structures.

This also helps improve staff retention.

4. Workforce Background and Industry Trends

The report also examines the professional background of shore staff working in maritime companies.

Many shore-based professionals come from sailing backgrounds, while others come from technical, engineering, or business management fields.

Understanding these workforce trends helps companies identify the skills needed to run modern maritime operations.

It also highlights how the industry is evolving as digital systems, automation, and compliance requirements increase.

5. Department Size and Operational Ratios

Another important insight in the survey is the relationship between fleet size and shore staff numbers.

Shipping companies often struggle to determine how many shore staff are needed to manage a certain number of vessels.

Too few staff can create operational pressure. Too many can increase costs.

The survey provides practical insights into department size and operating ratios used across the industry.

This helps companies plan their workforce more efficiently.

Why This Report Matters for Maritime Decision Makers

For maritime leaders, access to reliable data is critical. The Shore Staff Survey provides real industry insights rather than assumptions.

Here are some of the ways this report can support decision makers.

1. Strategic Workforce Planning

Shipping companies constantly face the challenge of managing growing fleets while maintaining efficient operations.

This report helps leadership teams understand how other companies scale their shore staff as fleets grow.

This allows organizations to plan their workforce more strategically.

2. Better Compensation Policies

Employee retention is becoming an important issue in the maritime sector.

Shore-based professionals with experience in crewing, technical management, and compliance are in high demand.

The survey provides real data that helps companies design balanced and competitive compensation strategies.

3. Organizational Benchmarking

Every company wants to know how it compares with others in the industry.

The Shore Staff Survey allows maritime companies to benchmark their internal structure against industry patterns.

This includes department size, reporting structures, and workforce composition. Such benchmarking can reveal opportunities for improvement.

4. Improved Operational Efficiency

Departments such as safety, quality, and compliance must function effectively to meet global standards.

Understanding how other companies organize these teams helps improve operational efficiency.

It also helps ensure that critical functions are properly supported.

5. Supporting Growth and Expansion

As maritime companies expand their fleets or enter new markets, shore-based operations must grow accordingly.

The survey offers insights that help organizations scale their teams responsibly.

This reduces operational risks and ensures that shore teams can support fleet growth effectively.

A Reliable Source of Industry Intelligence

Reliable maritime workforce data is not easy to obtain. Much of the information related to shore staff remains scattered across companies and regions.

The Shore Staff Survey brings this information together in a structured and practical format.

It transforms industry observations into clear insights that organizations can use for decision making.

For maritime companies that want to strengthen their shore operations, this report provides an important reference point.

How to Get Your Copy

The Shore Staff Survey Report 2025-26 is now available. Whether you are looking to benchmark salaries, support a compensation review or strengthen your HR strategy, this report gives you the foundation you need.

To get your copy, reach out to the ISF Group research team directly.

Email: iireresearch@isfgroup.in

Date: 12 March 2026