Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
SOC code 53-5021 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,420 | $22.80 |
| 25th percentile | $63,880 | $30.71 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $92,460 | $44.45 |
| 75th percentile | $127,180 | $61.14 |
| 90th percentile | $170,640 | $82.04 |
See where a wage ranks
Estimate only, based on linear interpolation between this occupation's BLS OEWS reported percentiles above.
Wages by state (May 2024)
State-level employment and wage estimates for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (SOC 53-5021), from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) State estimates, May 2024. Data available for 38 of 51 states/DC for this occupation.
| State | Employment | Mean annual | Median annual | 10th pctl annual | 25th pctl annual | 75th pctl annual | 90th pctl annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 410 | $91,710 | $76,400 | $54,170 | $60,080 | $110,620 | $136,000 |
| Alaska | 710 | $89,170 | $80,430 | $39,000 | $59,790 | $109,200 | $168,110 |
| Arkansas | — | $83,830 | $89,340 | $43,540 | $49,210 | $99,620 | $122,880 |
| California | 1,970 | $96,940 | $79,560 | $54,030 | $60,440 | $122,320 | $158,730 |
| Connecticut | 340 | $84,750 | $72,380 | $44,500 | $59,930 | $93,570 | $133,210 |
| Delaware | 50 | $86,250 | $71,700 | $50,770 | $60,110 | $102,990 | $152,050 |
| Florida | 4,360 | $75,890 | $63,540 | $34,030 | $48,450 | $99,600 | $126,440 |
| Georgia | 200 | $101,580 | $80,180 | $37,570 | $49,930 | $117,510 | $134,530 |
| Hawaii | 530 | $86,960 | $75,980 | $49,090 | $54,030 | $104,000 | $139,600 |
| Illinois | 840 | $84,110 | $76,090 | $41,620 | $58,230 | $104,100 | $138,780 |
| Indiana | 810 | $100,880 | $81,510 | $55,790 | $58,880 | $124,530 | $161,690 |
| Iowa | 100 | $92,880 | $100,330 | $38,340 | $49,990 | $108,220 | $155,070 |
| Kentucky | 1,490 | $103,310 | $81,820 | $49,410 | $61,120 | $133,530 | $162,600 |
| Louisiana | 6,310 | $115,190 | $103,430 | $61,710 | $80,230 | $136,750 | $167,130 |
| Maine | 330 | $67,620 | $61,280 | $45,500 | $49,990 | $75,710 | $89,590 |
| Maryland | 460 | $117,350 | $95,210 | $48,090 | $64,850 | $170,460 | $205,810 |
| Massachusetts | 560 | $78,620 | $67,690 | $45,380 | $50,060 | $99,140 | $122,970 |
| Michigan | 490 | $81,920 | $72,810 | $34,840 | $51,630 | $107,740 | $138,020 |
| Minnesota | 90 | $91,800 | $83,920 | $36,650 | $47,320 | $122,900 | $153,400 |
| Mississippi | 530 | $120,580 | $112,670 | $45,760 | $73,410 | $169,530 | $169,530 |
| Missouri | 370 | $80,430 | $78,020 | $34,330 | $44,600 | $102,860 | $125,120 |
| New Hampshire | 40 | $71,830 | $66,560 | $44,930 | $59,450 | $83,200 | $97,520 |
| New Jersey | 880 | $107,930 | $91,700 | $37,440 | $54,390 | $132,460 | $171,020 |
| New York | 2,080 | $102,240 | $103,510 | $47,040 | $69,400 | $131,100 | $161,340 |
| North Carolina | 430 | $80,070 | $66,680 | $39,260 | $55,500 | $90,230 | $148,510 |
| Ohio | 310 | $66,230 | $52,000 | $37,070 | $39,150 | $78,080 | $116,170 |
| Oregon | 480 | $89,830 | $75,590 | $45,870 | $59,070 | $124,560 | $135,560 |
| Pennsylvania | 530 | $91,250 | $82,050 | $37,520 | $46,740 | $118,830 | $129,240 |
| Rhode Island | 170 | $85,480 | $67,250 | $38,410 | $56,940 | $99,990 | $165,560 |
| South Carolina | 410 | $65,560 | $58,280 | $25,560 | $35,110 | $82,880 | $120,470 |
| Tennessee | 840 | $109,250 | $91,880 | $51,570 | $57,200 | $161,110 | $171,890 |
| Texas | 4,090 | $110,750 | $105,790 | $57,920 | $69,630 | $153,780 | $168,060 |
| Utah | — | $49,550 | $49,120 | $37,480 | $45,620 | $49,120 | $51,430 |
| Vermont | 50 | $65,430 | $61,880 | $29,320 | $40,050 | $83,160 | $100,050 |
| Virginia | 1,890 | $88,990 | $82,470 | $50,700 | $63,190 | $110,410 | $129,860 |
| Washington | 1,600 | $105,140 | $104,560 | $60,690 | $77,870 | $128,700 | $152,400 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $91,890 | $95,170 | $34,400 | $38,340 | $107,570 | $134,900 |
| Wisconsin | 150 | $74,590 | $64,610 | $35,710 | $53,330 | $88,150 | $130,700 |
Hourly by-state wages are in the source dataset but not rendered here (annual only, to keep this table a manageable width); see the source link below for the full file. BLS suppresses some state-level figures for reliability: an em dash (—) means BLS did not publish that figure for this state and occupation. Per BLS’s own field definitions: "*" = a wage estimate is not available; "**" = an employment estimate is not available; "#" = a wage equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year (all three are shown here as —, not guessed). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), State occupational employment and wage estimates, May 2024.
Similar-paying occupations in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
- Transportation Inspectors 53-6051$92,100/yr
- Subway and Streetcar Operators 53-4041$86,380/yr
- Locomotive Engineers 53-4011$81,410/yr
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters 53-4031$78,000/yr
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators 53-7071$77,320/yr
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Wage figures are BLS OEWS estimates and may not reflect current pay.