清代對於海洋的經營並不積極，這可從水師的待遇即可得知。相對於從事其他海洋相關工作的百姓，水師的俸餉並不算優涯，這將影響壯丁從軍的意願。水師人員的招募不足使得海防安全堪虞，即使勉強湊足人數，其素質難免良莠不齊。為了彌補這項缺失，清廷乃決定提高水師的俸餉，並在升遷的考核制度上給予較為寬鬆的條件，只要立有戰功，無論官、弁、兵皆可獲得升遷的機會。升遷之後連帶薪俸增加，使得水師的整體待遇顯著提升。然而，水師若要獲得升遷，可能要付出生命做為代價。

During the Qing dynasty, the navy's low wage showed that the government did not intend to operate coastal businesses. Compared to other coastal related business crews, Qing's navy had a lower salary which resulted in less men applying for naval service. The shortage of naval officers led to a decline in the strength of coastal safety and crew quality. In order to make up for this weakness, the government finally decided to raise the salaries for theQing navy. In the new arrangement, no matter which level of marine crews won the battle, all of them could earn the wages. Nevertheless, they still faced the risk of sacrificing themselves from the battles.