SOC 53-5021 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries

U.S. median annual wage$92,460

U.S. median hourly wage$44.45

U.S. employment36,850

Nationally, captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels earned a median of $92,460 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 36,850 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.

National pay distribution

Pay by state

Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

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Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels: pay and employment by state
State
Maryland	$138,950	$66.80	450	0.2
Tennessee	$132,710	$63.80	940	0.3
Louisiana	$117,160	$56.33	6,830	3.5
Texas	$111,390	$53.55	3,400	0.2
California	$110,090	$52.93	2,420	0.1
New York	$104,800	$50.39	1,930	0.2
Mississippi	$104,220	$50.11	570	0.5
Washington	$103,730	$49.87	1,560	0.4
Iowa	$97,700	$46.97	80	0.1
Oregon	$97,050	$46.66	350	0.2
Indiana	$92,000	$44.23	1,010	0.3
New Jersey	$90,310	$43.42	510	0.1
Alaska	$88,230	$42.42	710	2.2
Virginia	$87,610	$42.12	2,270	0.6
West Virginia	$85,290	$41.00	110	0.2
Missouri	$83,670	$40.23	420	0.1
Minnesota	$80,920	$38.90	110	0.0
Oklahoma	$79,110	$38.03	30	0.0
Massachusetts	$77,950	$37.47	650	0.2
Georgia	$77,090	$37.06	220	0.0
Rhode Island	$76,790	$36.92	250	0.5
Florida	$76,040	$36.56	5,040	0.5
New Hampshire	$75,870	$36.48	70	0.1
Connecticut	$75,810	$36.45	380	0.2
Wisconsin	$74,390	$35.76	170	0.1
Delaware	$73,280	$35.23	50	0.1
Hawaii	$72,960	$35.08	700	1.1
Maine	$72,770	$34.99	360	0.6
Illinois	$69,600	$33.46	900	0.1
North Carolina	$69,170	$33.26	490	0.1
Alabama	$68,920	$33.13	350	0.2
Vermont	$64,020	$30.78	40	0.1
Pennsylvania	$61,420	$29.53	580	0.1
Arizona	$58,700	$28.22	40	0.0
South Carolina	$57,660	$27.72	520	0.2
Ohio	$56,070	$26.96	420	0.1
Michigan	$53,590	$25.76	640	0.1
Utah	$50,010	$24.04	Not published	Not published
Virgin Islands	$48,700	$23.42	130	3.9
Puerto Rico	$47,410	$22.79	120	0.1
Kentucky	Not published	Not published	1,060	0.5

Pay by metro area

All 77 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

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Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	$130,380	$62.68	800	1.2
Baton Rouge, LA	$129,260	$62.14	900	2.2
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$124,610	$59.91	440	0.2
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	$121,710	$58.51	1,940	4.4
Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA	$120,810	$58.08	580	5.9
Lake Charles, LA	$119,630	$57.51	150	1.4
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$118,830	$57.13	2,550	0.8
Lafayette, LA	$116,200	$55.87	270	1.5
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$113,850	$54.74	60	0.6
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	$113,850	$54.74	40	0.7
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$113,260	$54.45	1,210	0.2
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	$112,320	$54.00	230	1.4
Anchorage, AK	$109,580	$52.68	140	0.8
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$109,080	$52.44	1,140	0.5
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$106,230	$51.07	2,060	0.2
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$103,840	$49.92	270	0.1
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX	$103,800	$49.90	50	0.3
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA	$103,780	$49.90	2,040	24.4
St. Louis, MO-IL	$94,990	$45.67	240	0.2
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$94,150	$45.26	150	0.0
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$93,440	$44.93	310	0.3
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	$92,580	$44.51	60	0.3
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$91,000	$43.75	250	0.6
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$89,890	$43.22	60	0.1
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$86,940	$41.80	2,050	2.7
Barnstable Town, MA	$83,390	$40.09	Not published	Not published
Jacksonville, FL	$83,190	$39.99	670	0.9
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS	$81,290	$39.08	90	0.6
Savannah, GA	$81,090	$38.98	130	0.7
Kahului-Wailuku, HI	$80,800	$38.85	140	1.9
Chattanooga, TN-GA	$80,790	$38.84	30	0.1
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$80,480	$38.69	130	0.1
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$80,100	$38.51	60	0.2
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$79,990	$38.46	40	0.3
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$79,720	$38.33	440	0.3
Traverse City, MI	$79,440	$38.19	90	1.4
Corpus Christi, TX	$79,060	$38.01	180	0.9
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$78,380	$37.68	70	0.1
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	$78,310	$37.65	90	0.7
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$78,280	$37.64	1,710	0.6
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	$77,630	$37.32	130	0.4
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$77,180	$37.11	580	0.4
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$77,120	$37.08	70	0.1
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$76,530	$36.80	440	0.1
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$76,490	$36.77	290	0.2
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$76,340	$36.70	50	0.0
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL	$76,140	$36.61	40	0.4
New Haven, CT	$75,810	$36.45	180	0.6
Rochester, NY	$75,750	$36.42	30	0.1
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$75,430	$36.27	280	0.4
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL	$75,370	$36.24	110	0.9
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$75,130	$36.12	490	0.2
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$74,890	$36.01	40	0.1
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$74,260	$35.70	130	0.5
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$74,160	$35.65	30	0.1
Portland-South Portland, ME	$74,140	$35.64	150	0.5
Urban Honolulu, HI	$72,880	$35.04	420	0.9
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	$71,840	$34.54	170	0.5
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	$70,600	$33.94	180	1.2
Port St. Lucie, FL	$69,050	$33.20	100	0.6
Naples-Marco Island, FL	$65,150	$31.32	140	0.8
Burlington-South Burlington, VT	$64,020	$30.78	30	0.3
Cleveland, OH	$63,540	$30.55	70	0.1
Wilmington, NC	$63,190	$30.38	150	0.8
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL	$63,010	$30.29	90	1.0
Mobile, AL	$62,460	$30.03	140	0.8
Evansville, IN	$61,660	$29.64	140	1.1
Salinas, CA	$60,070	$28.88	40	0.2
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI	$59,900	$28.80	60	0.9
Sandusky, OH	$51,050	$24.54	90	1.7
Pittsburgh, PA	$48,030	$23.09	370	0.3
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC	$47,590	$22.88	80	1.0
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	$47,410	$22.79	90	0.1
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC	$43,780	$21.05	70	0.5
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$40,810	$19.62	160	0.1
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	Not published	Not published	340	0.2
Paducah, KY-IL	Not published	Not published	700	13.9

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.