53 Series · SOC 53-5021
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $92,460
- Median / year
- $170,640
- Top 10% earn
- +0.5%
- Growth '23–'33
- 36,850
- US workers
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels earn a median of $92,460 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $92,460, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $47,420 (10th percentile) to $170,640 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 36,850 US workers. Maryland pays the most ($138,950), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels earn a median of $92,460, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 79% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Transportation and Material Moving, it ranks #5 of 50 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 0.5% by 2033.
- $92,460
- Median annual wage
- Top 21%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #5 of 50
- in Transportation and Material Moving
- 3.6×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Maryland at $138,950. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (SOC 53-5021) pays a national median of $92,460 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $47,420 at the 10th percentile to $170,640 at the 90th, with a mean of $103,720 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 36,850 Americans work in this occupation across 40 reporting states and 96 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +0.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 4,300 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Postsecondary nondegree award, with less than 5 years of prior experience generally required. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of C for this role, with a fatality rate of 17.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 4.8 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Maryland pays the highest state median at $138,950, which is +50% above the national figure. The top metro is Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at $130,380 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$92,460
per year
Median Hourly
$44.45/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$103,720
average
Employment
36,850
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$92,460 Top 21% higher than 79% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 53-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 53-series occupations with growth data, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels sits on the slower-growing side at +0.5% growth and $92,460 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+0.5%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
4,300
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work Experience
Less than 5 years
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Moderate Risk
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
17.5/100K
Injury Rate
4.8/100
Danger Index
28/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.
- ▸ Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$47,420
25th Percentile
$63,880
Median
$92,460
75th Percentile
$127,180
90th Percentile
$170,640
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 40 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $138,950 | +50% above national |
| 2 | Tennessee | $132,710 | +44% above national |
| 3 | Louisiana | $117,160 | +27% above national |
| 4 | Texas | $111,390 | +20% above national |
| 5 | California | $110,090 | +19% above national |
| 6 | New York | $104,800 | +13% above national |
| 7 | Mississippi | $104,220 | +13% above national |
| 8 | Washington | $103,730 | +12% above national |
| 9 | Iowa | $97,700 | +6% above national |
| 10 | Oregon | $97,050 | +5% above national |
| 11 | Indiana | $92,000 | same as national |
| 12 | New Jersey | $90,310 | 2% below national |
| 13 | Alaska | $88,230 | 5% below national |
| 14 | Virginia | $87,610 | 5% below national |
| 15 | West Virginia | $85,290 | 8% below national |
| 16 | Missouri | $83,670 | 10% below national |
| 17 | Minnesota | $80,920 | 12% below national |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $79,110 | 14% below national |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $77,950 | 16% below national |
| 20 | Georgia | $77,090 | 17% below national |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $76,790 | 17% below national |
| 22 | Florida | $76,040 | 18% below national |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $75,870 | 18% below national |
| 24 | Connecticut | $75,810 | 18% below national |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $74,390 | 20% below national |
| 26 | Delaware | $73,280 | 21% below national |
| 27 | Hawaii | $72,960 | 21% below national |
| 28 | Maine | $72,770 | 21% below national |
| 29 | Illinois | $69,600 | 25% below national |
| 30 | North Carolina | $69,170 | 25% below national |
| 31 | Alabama | $68,920 | 25% below national |
| 32 | Vermont | $64,020 | 31% below national |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $61,420 | 34% below national |
| 34 | Arizona | $58,700 | 37% below national |
| 35 | South Carolina | $57,660 | 38% below national |
| 36 | Ohio | $56,070 | 39% below national |
| 37 | Michigan | $53,590 | 42% below national |
| 38 | Utah | $50,010 | 46% below national |
| 39 | Virgin Islands | $48,700 | 47% below national |
| 40 | Puerto Rico | $47,410 | 49% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 96 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $130,380 | +41% above national |
| 2 | Baton Rouge, LA | $129,260 | +40% above national |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $124,610 | +35% above national |
| 4 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $121,710 | +32% above national |
| 5 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $120,810 | +31% above national |
| 6 | Lake Charles, LA | $119,630 | +29% above national |
| 7 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $118,830 | +29% above national |
| 8 | Lafayette, LA | $116,200 | +26% above national |
| 9 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $113,850 | +23% above national |
| 10 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $113,850 | +23% above national |
| 11 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $113,260 | +22% above national |
| 12 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $112,320 | +21% above national |
| 13 | Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $110,030 | +19% above national |
| 14 | Anchorage, AK | $109,580 | +19% above national |
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $109,080 | +18% above national |
| 16 | Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $108,550 | +17% above national |
| 17 | Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $106,810 | +16% above national |
| 18 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $106,230 | +15% above national |
| 19 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $104,010 | +12% above national |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $103,840 | +12% above national |
| 21 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $103,800 | +12% above national |
| 22 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $103,780 | +12% above national |
| 23 | Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $102,460 | +11% above national |
| 24 | North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $95,300 | +3% above national |
| 25 | Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $95,260 | +3% above national |
| 26 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $94,990 | +3% above national |
| 27 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $94,150 | +2% above national |
| 28 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $93,440 | +1% above national |
| 29 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $92,580 | same as national |
| 30 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $91,000 | 2% below national |
| 31 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $89,890 | 3% below national |
| 32 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $86,940 | 6% below national |
| 33 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $85,260 | 8% below national |
| 34 | Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $84,220 | 9% below national |
| 35 | Barnstable Town, MA | $83,390 | 10% below national |
| 36 | Jacksonville, FL | $83,190 | 10% below national |
| 37 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $82,870 | 10% below national |
| 38 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $81,290 | 12% below national |
| 39 | Savannah, GA | $81,090 | 12% below national |
| 40 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $80,800 | 13% below national |
| 41 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $80,790 | 13% below national |
| 42 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $80,480 | 13% below national |
| 43 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $80,100 | 13% below national |
| 44 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $79,990 | 13% below national |
| 45 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $79,720 | 14% below national |
| 46 | Traverse City, MI | $79,440 | 14% below national |
| 47 | Corpus Christi, TX | $79,060 | 14% below national |
| 48 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $78,380 | 15% below national |
| 49 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $78,310 | 15% below national |
| 50 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $78,280 | 15% below national |
| 51 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $77,630 | 16% below national |
| 52 | Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $77,250 | 16% below national |
| 53 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $77,180 | 17% below national |
| 54 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $77,120 | 17% below national |
| 55 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $76,530 | 17% below national |
| 56 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $76,490 | 17% below national |
| 57 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $76,340 | 17% below national |
| 58 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $76,140 | 18% below national |
| 59 | New Haven, CT | $75,810 | 18% below national |
| 60 | Rochester, NY | $75,750 | 18% below national |
| 61 | Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $75,640 | 18% below national |
| 62 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $75,430 | 18% below national |
| 63 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $75,370 | 18% below national |
| 64 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $75,130 | 19% below national |
| 65 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $74,890 | 19% below national |
| 66 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $74,260 | 20% below national |
| 67 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $74,160 | 20% below national |
| 68 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $74,140 | 20% below national |
| 69 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $72,880 | 21% below national |
| 70 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $71,840 | 22% below national |
| 71 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $70,600 | 24% below national |
| 72 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $69,580 | 25% below national |
| 73 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $69,170 | 25% below national |
| 74 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $69,050 | 25% below national |
| 75 | Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $68,460 | 26% below national |
| 76 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $65,150 | 30% below national |
| 77 | Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area | $64,490 | 30% below national |
| 78 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $64,020 | 31% below national |
| 79 | Cleveland, OH | $63,540 | 31% below national |
| 80 | Wilmington, NC | $63,190 | 32% below national |
| 81 | Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $63,010 | 32% below national |
| 82 | Mobile, AL | $62,460 | 32% below national |
| 83 | South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $62,400 | 33% below national |
| 84 | Evansville, IN | $61,660 | 33% below national |
| 85 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $60,980 | 34% below national |
| 86 | Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $60,560 | 35% below national |
| 87 | Salinas, CA | $60,070 | 35% below national |
| 88 | Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $59,900 | 35% below national |
| 89 | South Florida nonmetropolitan area | $59,280 | 36% below national |
| 90 | Sandusky, OH | $51,050 | 45% below national |
| 91 | Pittsburgh, PA | $48,030 | 48% below national |
| 92 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $47,590 | 49% below national |
| 93 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $47,410 | 49% below national |
| 94 | Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $46,050 | 50% below national |
| 95 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $43,780 | 53% below national |
| 96 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $40,810 | 56% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 53 (transportation and material moving) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels make? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $127,180/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Maryland leads at $138,950/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.