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Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels: Job Description
Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard.
What Do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels cover:
- Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.
- Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
- Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.
- Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
- Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.
- Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.
- Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.
- Stand watches on vessels during specified periods while vessels are under way.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Able Bodied Seaman (AB Seaman)
- Able Bodied Tankerman (AB Tankerman)
- Area Relief Pilot
- Bar Pilot
- Barge Captain
- Barge Master
- Barge Mate
- Barge Pilot
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 1,042,808 captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -0.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $27,869 |
| Hourly median | $13.40 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $22,000 |
| 75th percentile | $34,125 |
| 90th percentile | $40,380 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | $112,670 |
| Texas | $105,790 |
| Washington | $104,560 |
| New York | $103,510 |
| Louisiana | $103,430 |
| Iowa | $100,330 |
| Maryland | $95,210 |
| West Virginia | $95,170 |
| Tennessee | $91,880 |
| New Jersey | $91,700 |
| Arkansas | $89,340 |
| Minnesota | $83,920 |
| Virginia | $82,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,050 |
| Kentucky | $81,820 |
| Indiana | $81,510 |
| Alaska | $80,430 |
| Georgia | $80,180 |
| California | $79,560 |
| Missouri | $78,020 |
| Alabama | $76,400 |
| Illinois | $76,090 |
| Hawaii | $75,980 |
| Oregon | $75,590 |
| Michigan | $72,810 |
| Connecticut | $72,380 |
| Delaware | $71,700 |
| Massachusetts | $67,690 |
| Rhode Island | $67,250 |
| North Carolina | $66,680 |
| New Hampshire | $66,560 |
| Wisconsin | $64,610 |
| Florida | $63,540 |
| Guam | $62,400 |
| Vermont | $61,880 |
| Maine | $61,280 |
| South Carolina | $58,280 |
| Ohio | $52,000 |
| Utah | $49,120 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,080 |
Where Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Earn the Most
Compensation for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | $105,790 | 11.6% | 1.29 |
| Middle Atlantic | $96,716 | 11.4% | 0.83 |
| Far Western US | $86,519 | 15.0% | 2.54 |
| Southeast | $85,674 | 48.2% | 6.52 |
| Plains States | $82,952 | 1.6% | 0.43 |
| Great Lakes | $73,625 | 7.4% | 0.68 |
| New England | $67,065 | 4.2% | 1.17 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $20,688 | 0.7% | 8.71 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | TX | $116,620 | 2,850 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | LA | $116,130 | 730 |
| Lake Charles, LA | LA | $113,350 | 160 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $110,810 | 400 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | TX | $109,810 | 200 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $107,000 | 60 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $107,000 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $106,590 | 2,510 |
Top Industries Employing Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Most captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 26,550 | $92,440 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1,210 | $59,900 |
| Construction | 1,130 | $82,390 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 690 | $85,520 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 560 | $128,740 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 550 | $61,080 |
| Educational Services | 370 | $64,460 |
| Wholesale Trade | 350 | $138,780 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
- Contact With Others
- Freedom to Make Decisions
How to Become Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Most captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (Supplemental)
- Fishing and Hunting Workers (Supplemental)
- Commercial Divers (Supplemental)
- Riggers (Supplemental)
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (Primary-Long)
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Commercial Pilots (Primary-Short)
- Airfield Operations Specialists (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels often complete programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
2 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels).
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