Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Louisville/Jefferson County

BLS metro-level wage data places Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at a median of $130,380 per year ($62.68/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $92,460, Louisville/Jefferson County pays +41% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 800 captains, mates, and pilots of water vesselss are employed across the Louisville/Jefferson County MSA in SOC 53-5021.

The Louisville/Jefferson County pay distribution spans from $59,220 at the 10th percentile to $212,820 at the 90th, a 3.6× 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 $81,290 and the 75th at $163,120, so half of Louisville/Jefferson County-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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 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 KY data, and peer-metro comparisons, a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.