Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (SOC 53-5021) earn a median $92,460 a year ($44.45 an hour) in the United States, with 36,850 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Maryland.
What captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels do
Captains, mates, and pilots command and navigate ships and other water vessels such as tugboats and ferryboats. A captain has overall responsibility for the vessel, its crew, and its cargo or passengers. Mates and pilots stand watches while the vessel is under way, and the work draws on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards. They decide courses and speeds using knowledge of winds, tides, currents, water depths, and hazards, and they rely on charts, weather reports, radar, depth finders, and radios. Docking and undocking, serving as docking master at a berth, and talking by radio with the shore and with other vessels are among the daily tasks. They also see that crews do not take unsafe actions. The U.S. Coast Guard issues the license required to hold these jobs.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Able Bodied Seaman (AB Seaman), Able Bodied Tankerman (AB Tankerman), Area Relief Pilot, Bar Pilot, Barge Captain.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.80 | $30.71 | $44.45 | $61.14 | $82.04 | $49.87 | 36,850 |
| Annual | $47,420 | $63,880 | $92,460 | $127,180 | $170,640 | $103,720 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $26.41 | $47.33 | $66.80 | $86.31 | $106.87 | $69.22 | 450 | 0.16 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $54,920 | $98,450 | $138,950 | $179,520 | $222,280 | $143,980 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $28.98 | $36.74 | $63.80 | $79.66 | $103.59 | $63.47 | 940 | 0.29 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $60,270 | $76,420 | $132,710 | $165,700 | $215,470 | $132,020 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $29.08 | $38.38 | $56.33 | $63.76 | $99.45 | $57.68 | 6,830 | 3.53 | 14.89 |
| Annual | $60,480 | $79,830 | $117,160 | $132,620 | $206,860 | $119,980 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $31.18 | $34.03 | $53.55 | $69.98 | $82.11 | $53.94 | 3,400 | 0.24 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $64,850 | $70,780 | $111,390 | $145,560 | $170,800 | $112,180 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $26.95 | $35.40 | $52.93 | $63.61 | $167.36 | $62.30 | 2,420 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $56,060 | $73,630 | $110,090 | $132,310 | $348,100 | $129,580 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $29.08 | $38.38 | $56.33 | $63.76 | $99.45 | $57.68 | 6,830 | 3.53 | 14.89 |
| Annual | $60,480 | $79,830 | $117,160 | $132,620 | $206,860 | $119,980 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.42 | $25.60 | $36.56 | $49.30 | $65.44 | $40.73 | 5,040 | 0.51 | 2.14 |
| Annual | $36,240 | $53,250 | $76,040 | $102,540 | $136,120 | $84,720 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $31.18 | $34.03 | $53.55 | $69.98 | $82.11 | $53.94 | 3,400 | 0.24 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $64,850 | $70,780 | $111,390 | $145,560 | $170,800 | $112,180 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $26.95 | $35.40 | $52.93 | $63.61 | $167.36 | $62.30 | 2,420 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $56,060 | $73,630 | $110,090 | $132,310 | $348,100 | $129,580 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $26.23 | $31.95 | $42.12 | $57.91 | $63.54 | $44.64 | 2,270 | 0.55 | 2.33 |
| Annual | $54,560 | $66,460 | $87,610 | $120,460 | $132,160 | $92,850 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | Hourly | $28.47 | $39.08 | $62.68 | $78.42 | $102.32 | $61.42 | 800 | 1.16 | 4.90 |
| Annual | $59,220 | $81,290 | $130,380 | $163,120 | $212,820 | $127,740 | ||||
| Baton Rouge, LA | Hourly | $31.70 | $49.20 | $62.14 | $99.45 | $115.52 | $72.10 | 900 | 2.20 | 9.27 |
| Annual | $65,940 | $102,340 | $129,260 | $206,860 | $240,280 | $149,980 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $30.83 | $40.88 | $59.91 | $62.70 | $94.89 | $63.77 | 440 | 0.19 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $64,120 | $85,030 | $124,610 | $130,410 | $197,380 | $132,650 | ||||
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | Hourly | $28.84 | $39.71 | $58.51 | $60.62 | $81.96 | $56.95 | 1,940 | 4.36 | 18.40 |
| Annual | $59,980 | $82,590 | $121,710 | $126,090 | $170,470 | $118,450 | ||||
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | Hourly | $31.54 | $38.63 | $58.08 | $60.95 | $97.15 | $58.98 | 580 | 5.94 | 25.08 |
| Annual | $65,590 | $80,360 | $120,810 | $126,780 | $202,070 | $122,670 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $33.10 | $35.26 | $57.13 | $69.98 | $84.82 | $56.09 | 2,550 | 0.78 | 3.28 |
| Annual | $68,840 | $73,340 | $118,830 | $145,560 | $176,420 | $116,660 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $28.56 | $39.37 | $51.07 | $64.18 | $79.64 | $53.28 | 2,060 | 0.22 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $59,410 | $81,900 | $106,230 | $133,500 | $165,650 | $110,830 | ||||
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | Hourly | $26.23 | $31.95 | $41.80 | $54.48 | $62.59 | $44.41 | 2,050 | 2.69 | 11.34 |
| Annual | $54,560 | $66,460 | $86,940 | $113,320 | $130,190 | $92,370 | ||||
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | Hourly | $29.08 | $31.57 | $49.90 | $63.86 | $96.36 | $53.78 | 2,040 | 24.42 | 103.03 |
| Annual | $60,480 | $65,660 | $103,780 | $132,820 | $200,420 | $111,870 | ||||
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | Hourly | $28.84 | $39.71 | $58.51 | $60.62 | $81.96 | $56.95 | 1,940 | 4.36 | 18.40 |
| Annual | $59,980 | $82,590 | $121,710 | $126,090 | $170,470 | $118,450 | ||||
Top industries employing captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
Inland Water Transportation employ 27.1% of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels nationally (9,970 jobs) at a median $105,650 a year ($50.79 an hour), followed by Support Activities for Water Transportation (23.7%) and Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (12.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inland Water Transportation NAICS 483200 | 9,970 | 27.1% | $105,650 | $50.79 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation NAICS 488300 | 8,720 | 23.7% | $102,440 | $49.25 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation NAICS 483100 | 4,640 | 12.6% | $95,610 | $45.96 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water NAICS 487200 | 4,240 | 11.5% | $60,380 | $29.03 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 1,250 | 3.4% | $88,880 | $42.73 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (36,850). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $81,640 for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in May 2021 and $92,460 in May 2025, with employment of 33,490 and 36,850.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $81,640 | $39.25 | 33,490 |
| May 2022 | $95,210 | $45.77 | 34,940 |
| May 2023 | $88,730 | $42.66 | 34,520 |
| May 2024 | $85,540 | $41.13 | 35,390 |
| May 2025 | $92,460 | $44.45 | 36,850 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
39 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland profile | $66.80 | $138,950 | $54,920 | $222,280 | 450 | 0.16 | 0.69 |
| 2 | Tennessee profile | $63.80 | $132,710 | $60,270 | $215,470 | 940 | 0.29 | 1.20 |
| 3 | Louisiana profile | $56.33 | $117,160 | $60,480 | $206,860 | 6,830 | 3.53 | 14.89 |
| 4 | Texas profile | $53.55 | $111,390 | $64,850 | $170,800 | 3,400 | 0.24 | 1.02 |
| 5 | California profile | $52.93 | $110,090 | $56,060 | $348,100 | 2,420 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| 6 | New York profile | $50.39 | $104,800 | $54,850 | $165,360 | 1,930 | 0.20 | 0.84 |
| 7 | Mississippi profile | $50.11 | $104,220 | $47,030 | $186,020 | 570 | 0.49 | 2.08 |
| 8 | Washington profile | $49.87 | $103,730 | $57,350 | $153,330 | 1,560 | 0.44 | 1.86 |
| 9 | Iowa profile | $46.97 | $97,700 | $46,220 | $121,760 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.21 |
| 10 | Oregon profile | $46.66 | $97,050 | $52,880 | $138,000 | 350 | 0.18 | 0.75 |
| 11 | Indiana profile | $44.23 | $92,000 | $59,220 | $212,820 | 1,010 | 0.32 | 1.34 |
| 12 | New Jersey profile | $43.42 | $90,310 | $50,420 | $156,790 | 510 | 0.12 | 0.50 |
| 13 | Alaska profile | $42.42 | $88,230 | $42,360 | $149,370 | 710 | 2.17 | 9.16 |
| 14 | Virginia profile | $42.12 | $87,610 | $54,560 | $132,160 | 2,270 | 0.55 | 2.33 |
| 15 | West Virginia profile | $41.00 | $85,290 | $39,250 | $120,320 | 110 | 0.16 | 0.69 |
| 16 | Missouri profile | $40.23 | $83,670 | $31,960 | $158,510 | 420 | 0.14 | 0.60 |
| 17 | Minnesota profile | $38.90 | $80,920 | $37,770 | $134,680 | 110 | 0.04 | 0.16 |
| 18 | Oklahoma profile | $38.03 | $79,110 | $55,440 | $111,570 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.08 |
| 19 | Massachusetts profile | $37.47 | $77,950 | $50,960 | $127,720 | 650 | 0.18 | 0.75 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | $37.06 | $77,090 | $38,640 | $121,570 | 220 | 0.05 | 0.19 |
| 21 | Rhode Island profile | $36.92 | $76,790 | $39,360 | $163,510 | 250 | 0.50 | 2.09 |
| 22 | Florida profile | $36.56 | $76,040 | $36,240 | $136,120 | 5,040 | 0.51 | 2.14 |
| 23 | New Hampshire profile | $36.48 | $75,870 | $47,530 | $165,110 | 70 | 0.10 | 0.44 |
| 24 | Connecticut profile | $36.45 | $75,810 | $48,380 | $151,800 | 380 | 0.23 | 0.96 |
| 25 | Wisconsin profile | $35.76 | $74,390 | $36,360 | $132,080 | 170 | 0.06 | 0.25 |
| 26 | Delaware profile | $35.23 | $73,280 | $44,480 | $127,790 | 50 | 0.10 | 0.41 |
| 27 | Hawaii profile | $35.08 | $72,960 | $47,550 | $115,100 | 700 | 1.12 | 4.73 |
| 28 | Maine profile | $34.99 | $72,770 | $47,640 | $104,240 | 360 | 0.56 | 2.37 |
| 29 | Illinois profile | $33.46 | $69,600 | $48,210 | $125,050 | 900 | 0.15 | 0.62 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $33.26 | $69,170 | $43,040 | $105,880 | 490 | 0.10 | 0.42 |
| 31 | Alabama profile | $33.13 | $68,920 | $30,650 | $123,860 | 350 | 0.17 | 0.70 |
| 32 | Vermont profile | $30.78 | $64,020 | $31,800 | $120,140 | 40 | 0.12 | 0.52 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania profile | $29.53 | $61,420 | $36,710 | $127,060 | 580 | 0.10 | 0.41 |
| 34 | Arizona profile | $28.22 | $58,700 | $35,700 | $119,450 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| 35 | South Carolina profile | $27.72 | $57,660 | $27,600 | $123,840 | 520 | 0.23 | 0.96 |
| 36 | Ohio profile | $26.96 | $56,070 | $37,530 | $99,090 | 420 | 0.08 | 0.32 |
| 37 | Michigan profile | $25.76 | $53,590 | $33,280 | $98,420 | 640 | 0.15 | 0.61 |
| 38 | Utah profile | $24.04 | $50,010 | $38,160 | $62,880 | ** | ** | ** |
| – | Kentucky profile | * | * | * | * | 1,060 | 0.53 | 2.23 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (53-5020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-5021 Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-5021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-5021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.