SOC 53-5021 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · May 2025

How much do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

In the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates, released May 15, 2026, the median annual wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is $103,840. The 10th percentile is $44,670 and the 90th percentile is $209,580. Employment is 270.

Median annual wage

$103,840

10th percentile
$44,670
25th percentile
$63,920
Median
$103,840
75th percentile
$163,040
90th percentile
$209,580
Mean
$116,350

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

Warehouse workers driving forklifts loaded with goods
Forklift operators in a Miami warehouse, 2011. Photograph by U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Percentile spread

For Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, the published 10th percentile is $44,670 and the 90th percentile is $209,580. The difference is $164,910, which is 158.8% 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 $63,920 to the 75th at $163,040, covers $99,120.

The mean annual wage is $116,350, which sits above the median of $103,840. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median is 12.3% higher than the national median of $92,460 for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels. In 2024 national prices the local median is $101,254, which is 9.5% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 69.1% higher than the Pennsylvania median of $61,420.

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Pennsylvania, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is 102.554, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $103,840 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels at $101,254 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

6 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ranks 2nd of 7 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).).

  • Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ is 52 miles away, with a median of $79,990 and employment of 40. That median is 23% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $80,915, against $101,254 here.
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is 98 miles away, with a median of $106,230 and employment of 2,060. That median is 2.3% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $94,374, against $101,254 here.
  • Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT is 138 miles away, with a median of $89,890 and employment of 60. That median is 13.4% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $84,116, against $101,254 here.

Employment share

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels accounts for 0.01% of wage-and-salary employment in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (270 of 2,897,830). Nationally the occupation is 0.02% of employment (36,850 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.39 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.

Highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels by metro · How to read these percentiles · Median and mean · When a wage is not published · How the figures are made · Compare this wage after prices

Questions this page answers

How much do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, released May 15, 2026, the median annual wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is $103,840. The 10th percentile is $44,670 and the 90th percentile is $209,580. Employment is 270.

How does that compare with the national median for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels?

The local median is 12.3% higher than the national median of $92,460.

What is Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD after local prices?

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is 102.554, with the United States at 100. In those national prices, the May 2025 median of $103,840 is $101,254. The wage is May 2025 and the parity is 2024.

How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD compare with nearby metros for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels?

Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ is the closest metropolitan area within 200 miles with a published annual median, 52 miles away, at $79,990. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ranks 2nd of 7 metros within 200 miles on that median. Distances use Census Bureau internal points.