SOC 53-5021 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels wages by metro
National median annual wage
$92,460
- 10th percentile
- $47,420
- 25th percentile
- $63,880
- Median
- $92,460
- 75th percentile
- $127,180
- 90th percentile
- $170,640
- Mean
- $103,720
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 36,850.
That median is 81.4% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 800 | $59,220 | $130,380 | $212,820 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 900 | $65,940 | $129,260 | $240,280 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 440 | $64,120 | $124,610 | $197,380 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 1,940 | $59,980 | $121,710 | $170,470 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | 580 | $65,590 | $120,810 | $202,070 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 150 | $59,190 | $119,630 | $123,780 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,550 | $68,840 | $118,830 | $176,420 |
| Lafayette, LA | 270 | $63,620 | $116,200 | $173,040 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 60 | $86,740 | $113,850 | $184,530 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 40 | $66,710 | $113,850 | $143,460 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,210 | $57,210 | $113,260 | $359,820 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 230 | $64,780 | $112,320 | $158,790 |
| Anchorage, AK | 140 | $43,560 | $109,580 | $156,300 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,140 | $58,850 | $109,080 | $153,390 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,060 | $59,410 | $106,230 | $165,650 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 270 | $44,670 | $103,840 | $209,580 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 50 | $36,390 | $103,800 | $149,290 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 2,040 | $60,480 | $103,780 | $200,420 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 240 | $35,010 | $94,990 | $158,510 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 150 | $53,260 | $94,150 | $153,760 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,550 | $68,840 | $118,830 | $176,420 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,060 | $59,410 | $106,230 | $165,650 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 2,050 | $54,560 | $86,940 | $130,190 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 2,040 | $60,480 | $103,780 | $200,420 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 1,940 | $59,980 | $121,710 | $170,470 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,710 | $36,230 | $78,280 | $144,980 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,210 | $57,210 | $113,260 | $359,820 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,140 | $58,850 | $109,080 | $153,390 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 900 | $65,940 | $129,260 | $240,280 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 800 | $59,220 | $130,380 | $212,820 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | 700 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Jacksonville, FL | 670 | $50,270 | $83,190 | $131,970 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | 580 | $65,590 | $120,810 | $202,070 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 580 | $31,350 | $77,180 | $158,230 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 490 | $50,630 | $75,130 | $127,720 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 440 | $48,210 | $76,530 | $124,870 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 440 | $38,960 | $79,720 | $162,930 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 440 | $64,120 | $124,610 | $197,380 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 420 | $51,780 | $72,880 | $124,450 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 370 | $31,900 | $48,030 | $126,190 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 450 | $54,920 | $138,950 | $222,280 |
| Tennessee | 940 | $60,270 | $132,710 | $215,470 |
| Louisiana | 6,830 | $60,480 | $117,160 | $206,860 |
| Texas | 3,400 | $64,850 | $111,390 | $170,800 |
| California | 2,420 | $56,060 | $110,090 | $348,100 |
| New York | 1,930 | $54,850 | $104,800 | $165,360 |
| Mississippi | 570 | $47,030 | $104,220 | $186,020 |
| Washington | 1,560 | $57,350 | $103,730 | $153,330 |
| Iowa | 80 | $46,220 | $97,700 | $121,760 |
| Oregon | 350 | $52,880 | $97,050 | $138,000 |
| Indiana | 1,010 | $59,220 | $92,000 | $212,820 |
| New Jersey | 510 | $50,420 | $90,310 | $156,790 |
| Alaska | 710 | $42,360 | $88,230 | $149,370 |
| Virginia | 2,270 | $54,560 | $87,610 | $132,160 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $39,250 | $85,290 | $120,320 |
| Missouri | 420 | $31,960 | $83,670 | $158,510 |
| Minnesota | 110 | $37,770 | $80,920 | $134,680 |
| Oklahoma | 30 | $55,440 | $79,110 | $111,570 |
| Massachusetts | 650 | $50,960 | $77,950 | $127,720 |
| Georgia | 220 | $38,640 | $77,090 | $121,570 |
| Rhode Island | 250 | $39,360 | $76,790 | $163,510 |
| Florida | 5,040 | $36,240 | $76,040 | $136,120 |
| New Hampshire | 70 | $47,530 | $75,870 | $165,110 |
| Connecticut | 380 | $48,380 | $75,810 | $151,800 |
| Wisconsin | 170 | $36,360 | $74,390 | $132,080 |
| Delaware | 50 | $44,480 | $73,280 | $127,790 |
| Hawaii | 700 | $47,550 | $72,960 | $115,100 |
| Maine | 360 | $47,640 | $72,770 | $104,240 |
| Illinois | 900 | $48,210 | $69,600 | $125,050 |
| North Carolina | 490 | $43,040 | $69,170 | $105,880 |
| Alabama | 350 | $30,650 | $68,920 | $123,860 |
| Vermont | 40 | $31,800 | $64,020 | $120,140 |
| Pennsylvania | 580 | $36,710 | $61,420 | $127,060 |
| Arizona | 40 | $35,700 | $58,700 | $119,450 |
| South Carolina | 520 | $27,600 | $57,660 | $123,840 |
| Ohio | 420 | $37,530 | $56,070 | $99,090 |
| Michigan | 640 | $33,280 | $53,590 | $98,420 |
| Utah | Not available | $38,160 | $50,010 | $62,880 |
| Virgin Islands | 130 | $31,270 | $48,700 | $91,280 |
| Puerto Rico | 120 | $23,440 | $47,410 | $78,380 |
| Kentucky | 1,060 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Other transportation and material moving occupations
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
- Stockers and Order Fillers
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
- Light Truck Drivers
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
- Packers and Packagers, Hand
- Driver/Sales Workers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels is $92,460. Employment is 36,850.
How does Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels is 81.4% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN is highest on this page's list at $130,380.