BLS metro-level wage data places Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY at a median of $77,120 per year ($37.08/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $92,460, Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays 17% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 70 captains, mates, and pilots of water vesselss are employed across the Buffalo-Cheektowaga MSA in SOC 53-5021.

The Buffalo-Cheektowaga pay distribution spans from $46,570 at the 10th percentile to $171,460 at the 90th — a 3.7× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $58,510 and the 75th at $99,260, so half of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-based captains, mates, and pilots of water vesselss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide NY data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.