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Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Pennsylvania

Thinking about a career as a Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Pennsylvania? Below are the key facts. Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard. Excludes “Motorboat Operators” (53-5022).

What do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Make in Pennsylvania?

For a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels working in Pennsylvania, the typical annual salary is $82,050 per year (or about $39.45/hour).Earnings range from $37,520 at the 10th percentile to $129,240 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$37,520	$18.04
25th percentile	$46,740	$22.47
Median (50th)	$82,050	$39.45
75th percentile	$118,830	$57.13
90th percentile	$129,240	$62.13

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Pennsylvania compared to the national average — is 0.38, indicating fewer captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels earn a median of $27,869 per year ($13.40/hour), above the Pennsylvania median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 1,042,808 captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in the U.S.. In Pennsylvania alone, about 530 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 460 captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels.

Top Pennsylvania Metros for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

The largest metro-area employers of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in Pennsylvania.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Pittsburgh, PA	300	$84,310
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	290	$101,650

Top States for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Employment

The table below shows the states where the most captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels work.

State	Number Employed
Louisiana	6,310
Florida	4,360
Texas	4,090
New York	2,080
California	1,970
Virginia	1,890
Washington	1,600
Kentucky	1,490
New Jersey	880
Illinois	840
Tennessee	840
Indiana	810
Alaska	710
Massachusetts	560
Hawaii	530
Pennsylvania	530
Mississippi	530
Michigan	490
Oregon	480
Maryland	460

Highest-Paying States for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

These states pay the most for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels.

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

Skills

Key captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels typically:

• 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.
• Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.
• Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.
• Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.
• Provide assistance in maritime rescue operations.

Work Activities

• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Getting Information
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Handling and Moving Objects

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Apple macOS In-demand technologies: Microsoft Office software

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

• Marine Transportation

Related Careers

Related occupations to captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels include:

• Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
• Fishing and Hunting Workers
• Commercial Divers
• Riggers
• Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
• Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Also Known As

Able Bodied Seaman (AB Seaman), Able Bodied Tankerman (AB Tankerman), Area Relief Pilot, Bar Pilot, Barge Captain, Barge Master, Barge Mate, Barge Pilot, Boat Captain, Boat Master, Boat Mate, Boat Operator, Boat Pilot, Boatswain, Boatswain's Mate.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-5021.00