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).
National median · BLS
$92,460
▲ +8.09%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$103,720
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
36,850
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$47,420
25th
$63,880
Median (50th)
$92,460
75th
$127,180
90th — top pay
$170,640
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
BLS projects employment of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 3,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
41,300 → 42,900
+1,700 jobs
Projected change
+4%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
3,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Plus less than 5 years experience
Self-employed
8.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Operation and Control3.6
Monitoring3.5
Speaking3.5
Active Listening3.4
Critical Thinking3.4
Judgment and Decision Making3.4
Operations Monitoring3.4
Complex Problem Solving3.3
Coordination3.3
Management of Personnel Resources3.3
Top knowledge areas
Transportation4.1
Public Safety and Security3.8
Mechanical3.4
Law and Government3.4
English Language3.3
Geography3.3
Administration and Management3.2
Customer and Personal Service3.2
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareApple macOSAutodesk RevitMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordComputerized maintenance management system CMMSFURUNO navigational chart softwareGroundwater modeling system GMSJeppesen Marine Nobeltec AdmiralJRC navigation softwareKNMI TurboWinLog book softwareMaptech The CAPNMicrosoft Office OutlookNavigational chart softwareSHIPNEXT
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels do
Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.
Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.
Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.
Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.
Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.
Stand watches on vessels during specified periods while vessels are under way.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $92,460.
