How much do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

Percentile spread

For Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, the published 10th percentile is $36,780 and the 90th percentile is $123,840. The difference is $87,060, which is 95.7% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $52,290 to the 75th at $118,980, covers $66,690.

The mean annual wage is $87,020, which sits below the median of $91,000. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Charleston-North Charleston, SC median is 1.6% lower than the national median of $92,460 for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels. In 2024 national prices the local median is $90,133, which is 2.5% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 57.8% higher than the South Carolina median of $57,660.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Charleston-North Charleston, SC is 100.962, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $91,000 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels at $90,133 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

5 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels. Charleston-North Charleston, SC ranks 1st of 6 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC is 65 miles away, with a median of $47,590 and employment of 80. That median is 47.7% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $48,553, against $90,133 here.
• Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC is 86 miles away, with a median of $43,780 and employment of 70. That median is 51.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $46,753, against $90,133 here.
• Savannah, GA is 97 miles away, with a median of $81,090 and employment of 130. That median is 10.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $85,173, against $90,133 here.

Employment share

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels accounts for 0.06% of wage-and-salary employment in Charleston-North Charleston, SC (250 of 394,170). Nationally the occupation is 0.02% of employment (36,850 of 155,495,730). The local share is 2.68 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.