Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay in the U.S.
$103,720avg. a year
$49.87 an hour · 36,850 employed
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in the U.S. earn an average of $103,720 a year and a median of $92,460. Pay is highest in Maryland ($143,980) and lowest in Utah ($53,670).
$92,460Median pay
$49.87Average hourly
+16%Avg. pay since 2020
36,850Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1450 jobs
Maryland
$143,980
$69.22 an hour
2940 jobs
Tennessee
$132,020
$63.47 an hour
32,420 jobs
California
$129,580
$62.30 an hour
46,830 jobs
Louisiana
$119,980
$57.68 an hour
51,010 jobs
Indiana
$114,900
$55.24 an hour
63,400 jobs
Texas
$112,180
$53.94 an hour
7570 jobs
Mississippi
$111,940
$53.82 an hour
81,930 jobs
New York
$108,420
$52.12 an hour
91,560 jobs
Washington
$103,890
$49.95 an hour
10510 jobs
New Jersey
$99,540
$47.86 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $80k$80k–$88k$88k–$100k$100k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $149,980 | $72.10 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $144,120 | $69.29 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $132,650 | $63.77 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $127,740 | $61.42 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $122,670 | $58.98 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $119,620 | $57.51 |
| Lafayette, LA | $119,080 | $57.25 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $118,450 | $56.95 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $80,400 | $68,920 | 350 |
| Alaska | $94,450 | $88,230 | 710 |
| Arizona | $69,200 | $58,700 | 40 |
| California | $129,580 | $110,090 | 2,420 |
| Connecticut | $95,590 | $75,810 | 380 |
| Delaware | $79,840 | $73,280 | 50 |
| Florida | $84,720 | $76,040 | 5,040 |
| Georgia | $84,640 | $77,090 | 220 |
| Hawaii | $79,360 | $72,960 | 700 |
| Illinois | $83,930 | $69,600 | 900 |
| Indiana | $114,900 | $92,000 | 1,010 |
| Iowa | $91,380 | $97,700 | 80 |
| Louisiana | $119,980 | $117,160 | 6,830 |
| Maine | $74,300 | $72,770 | 360 |
| Maryland | $143,980 | $138,950 | 450 |
| Massachusetts | $85,830 | $77,950 | 650 |
| Michigan | $62,290 | $53,590 | 640 |
| Minnesota | $88,660 | $80,920 | 110 |
| Mississippi | $111,940 | $104,220 | 570 |
| Missouri | $88,920 | $83,670 | 420 |
| New Hampshire | $89,750 | $75,870 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $99,540 | $90,310 | 510 |
| New York | $108,420 | $104,800 | 1,930 |
| North Carolina | $79,180 | $69,170 | 490 |
| Ohio | $64,010 | $56,070 | 420 |
| Oklahoma | $87,230 | $79,110 | 30 |
| Oregon | $97,140 | $97,050 | 350 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,220 | $61,420 | 580 |
| Rhode Island | $85,220 | $76,790 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $70,300 | $57,660 | 520 |
| Tennessee | $132,020 | $132,710 | 940 |
| Texas | $112,180 | $111,390 | 3,400 |
| Utah | $53,670 | $50,010 | – |
| Vermont | $76,590 | $64,020 | 40 |
| Virginia | $92,850 | $87,610 | 2,270 |
| Washington | $103,890 | $103,730 | 1,560 |
| West Virginia | $87,950 | $85,290 | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $85,140 | $74,390 | 170 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$116,660
2,550 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$110,830
2,060 jobsVirginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$92,370
2,050 jobsHouma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA
$111,870
2,040 jobsNew Orleans-Metairie, LA
$118,450
1,940 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$86,950
1,710 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$144,120
1,210 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$109,050
1,140 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels make?
The average is $103,720 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $92,460 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $49.87, and the median is $44.45 an hour.
Which state pays captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels the most?
Maryland, with an average of $143,980 a year. The best-paying metro area is Baton Rouge, LA at $149,980.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $47,420 a year, and the top 10% earn over $170,640.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-5021. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.