SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard. Excludes “Motorboat Operators” (53-5022).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 53-5021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $47,420 | $3,952 | $912 | $22.80 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $63,880 | $5,323 | $1,228 | $30.71 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $92,460 | $7,705 | $1,778 | $44.45 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $127,180 | $10,598 | $2,446 | $61.14 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $170,640 | $14,220 | $3,282 | $82.04 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels is $92,460, which is 81% higher. Among the 50 occupations of the field Transportation and Material Moving, it ranks number 5 by median pay. With 36,850 jobs, it makes up about 2.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($103,720) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay by state
The highest median pay was in Maryland ($138,950), Tennessee ($132,710) and Louisiana ($117,160). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($47,410), Virgin Islands ($48,700) and Utah ($50,010). The most jobs were in Louisiana (6,830), Florida (5,040) and Texas (3,400). The occupation is most concentrated in Virgin Islands, where its share of all jobs is 16.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 450 | $138,950 | $143,980 | $66.80 |
| Tennessee | 940 | $132,710 | $132,020 | $63.80 |
| Louisiana | 6,830 | $117,160 | $119,980 | $56.33 |
| Texas | 3,400 | $111,390 | $112,180 | $53.55 |
| California | 2,420 | $110,090 | $129,580 | $52.93 |
| New York | 1,930 | $104,800 | $108,420 | $50.39 |
| Mississippi | 570 | $104,220 | $111,940 | $50.11 |
| Washington | 1,560 | $103,730 | $103,890 | $49.87 |
| Iowa | 80 | $97,700 | $91,380 | $46.97 |
| Oregon | 350 | $97,050 | $97,140 | $46.66 |
| Indiana | 1,010 | $92,000 | $114,900 | $44.23 |
| New Jersey | 510 | $90,310 | $99,540 | $43.42 |
| Alaska | 710 | $88,230 | $94,450 | $42.42 |
| Virginia | 2,270 | $87,610 | $92,850 | $42.12 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $85,290 | $87,950 | $41.00 |
| Missouri | 420 | $83,670 | $88,920 | $40.23 |
| Minnesota | 110 | $80,920 | $88,660 | $38.90 |
| Oklahoma | 30 | $79,110 | $87,230 | $38.03 |
| Massachusetts | 650 | $77,950 | $85,830 | $37.47 |
| Georgia | 220 | $77,090 | $84,640 | $37.06 |
| Rhode Island | 250 | $76,790 | $85,220 | $36.92 |
| Florida | 5,040 | $76,040 | $84,720 | $36.56 |
| New Hampshire | 70 | $75,870 | $89,750 | $36.48 |
| Connecticut | 380 | $75,810 | $95,590 | $36.45 |
| Wisconsin | 170 | $74,390 | $85,140 | $35.76 |
| Delaware | 50 | $73,280 | $79,840 | $35.23 |
| Hawaii | 700 | $72,960 | $79,360 | $35.08 |
| Maine | 360 | $72,770 | $74,300 | $34.99 |
| Illinois | 900 | $69,600 | $83,930 | $33.46 |
| North Carolina | 490 | $69,170 | $79,180 | $33.26 |
| Alabama | 350 | $68,920 | $80,400 | $33.13 |
| Vermont | 40 | $64,020 | $76,590 | $30.78 |
| Pennsylvania | 580 | $61,420 | $82,220 | $29.53 |
| Arizona | 40 | $58,700 | $69,200 | $28.22 |
| South Carolina | 520 | $57,660 | $70,300 | $27.72 |
| Ohio | 420 | $56,070 | $64,010 | $26.96 |
| Michigan | 640 | $53,590 | $62,290 | $25.76 |
| Utah | not published | $50,010 | $53,670 | $24.04 |
| Virgin Islands | 130 | $48,700 | $84,140 | $23.42 |
| Puerto Rico | 120 | $47,410 | $53,520 | $22.79 |
| Kentucky | 1,060 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Air Traffic Controllers$148,080 a year
- Commercial Pilots$123,220 a year
- Ship Engineers$109,530 a year
- Transportation Inspectors$92,100 a year
- Subway and Streetcar Operators$86,380 a year
- Locomotive Engineers$81,410 a year
Common questions
How much do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels earn in the United States?
The median pay was $92,460 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $47,420 and the highest-paid 10% more than $170,640.
How many people work as Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels?
About 36,850 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.