Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
53-5021 Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
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).
National estimates for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Industry profile for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Geographic profile for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
National estimates for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 33,490 |
3.4 % |
$ 47.27 |
$ 98,330 |
1.8 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 17.91 |
$ 28.56 |
$ 39.25 |
$ 58.90 |
$ 76.77 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 37,240 |
$ 59,400 |
$ 81,640 |
$ 122,520 |
$ 159,690 |
Industry profile for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation |
9,520 |
10.59 |
$ 52.32 |
$ 108,830 |
| Inland Water Transportation |
9,400 |
36.87 |
$ 55.32 |
$ 115,070 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation |
4,100 |
12.68 |
$ 46.02 |
$ 95,710 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water |
3,130 |
27.76 |
$ 27.01 |
$ 56,180 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
1,240 |
0.06 |
$ 39.37 |
$ 81,880 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Inland Water Transportation |
9,400 |
36.87 |
$ 55.32 |
$ 115,070 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water |
3,130 |
27.76 |
$ 27.01 |
$ 56,180 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation |
4,100 |
12.68 |
$ 46.02 |
$ 95,710 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation |
9,520 |
10.59 |
$ 52.32 |
$ 108,830 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction |
1,200 |
1.00 |
$ 39.61 |
$ 82,380 |
Top paying industries for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Gambling Industries |
40 |
0.02 |
$ 67.01 |
$ 139,370 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 65.35 |
$ 135,940 |
| Inland Water Transportation |
9,400 |
36.87 |
$ 55.32 |
$ 115,070 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) |
50 |
0.01 |
$ 52.64 |
$ 109,500 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation |
9,520 |
10.59 |
$ 52.32 |
$ 108,830 |
Geographic profile for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Louisiana |
7,140 |
3.98 |
16.75 |
$ 57.51 |
$ 119,620 |
| Florida |
3,300 |
0.38 |
1.61 |
$ 37.75 |
$ 78,510 |
| Texas |
2,770 |
0.23 |
0.95 |
$ 50.00 |
$ 104,000 |
| California |
2,410 |
0.15 |
0.61 |
$ 49.96 |
$ 103,910 |
| Virginia |
2,270 |
0.61 |
2.55 |
$ 43.08 |
$ 89,610 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Louisiana |
7,140 |
3.98 |
16.75 |
$ 57.51 |
$ 119,620 |
| Alaska |
590 |
2.01 |
8.44 |
$ 47.62 |
$ 99,040 |
| Kentucky |
1,580 |
0.86 |
3.61 |
$ 42.94 |
$ 89,320 |
| Hawaii |
450 |
0.83 |
3.48 |
$ 31.12 |
$ 64,730 |
| Virginia |
2,270 |
0.61 |
2.55 |
$ 43.08 |
$ 89,610 |
Top paying states for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Louisiana |
7,140 |
3.98 |
16.75 |
$ 57.51 |
$ 119,620 |
| Mississippi |
450 |
0.41 |
1.73 |
$ 53.75 |
$ 111,800 |
| Illinois |
860 |
0.15 |
0.65 |
$ 50.95 |
$ 105,980 |
| Texas |
2,770 |
0.23 |
0.95 |
$ 50.00 |
$ 104,000 |
| California |
2,410 |
0.15 |
0.61 |
$ 49.96 |
$ 103,910 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
2,620 |
5.18 |
21.79 |
$ 53.25 |
$ 110,750 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
2,150 |
0.74 |
3.12 |
$ 51.07 |
$ 106,230 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
1,930 |
24.18 |
101.73 |
(8) |
(8) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
1,790 |
0.21 |
0.87 |
$ 48.25 |
$ 100,370 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
1,300 |
0.23 |
0.95 |
$ 49.60 |
$ 103,160 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
1,290 |
0.52 |
2.21 |
$ 45.29 |
$ 94,190 |
| Baton Rouge, LA |
1,150 |
3.12 |
13.14 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
980 |
0.51 |
2.14 |
$ 47.35 |
$ 98,480 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
710 |
2.09 |
8.78 |
$ 34.60 |
$ 71,970 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
570 |
0.25 |
1.07 |
$ 60.78 |
$ 126,420 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
1,930 |
24.18 |
101.73 |
(8) |
(8) |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
2,620 |
5.18 |
21.79 |
$ 53.25 |
$ 110,750 |
| Lake Charles, LA |
410 |
4.53 |
19.07 |
$ 39.37 |
$ 81,890 |
| Baton Rouge, LA |
1,150 |
3.12 |
13.14 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Lafayette, LA |
400 |
2.16 |
9.07 |
$ 45.24 |
$ 94,100 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
710 |
2.09 |
8.78 |
$ 34.60 |
$ 71,970 |
| Savannah, GA |
270 |
1.54 |
6.50 |
$ 38.37 |
$ 79,810 |
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI |
100 |
1.48 |
6.24 |
$ 26.49 |
$ 55,090 |
| Brunswick, GA |
50 |
1.33 |
5.60 |
$ 43.81 |
$ 91,120 |
| Barnstable Town, MA |
120 |
1.23 |
5.19 |
$ 32.85 |
$ 68,320 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
570 |
0.25 |
1.07 |
$ 60.78 |
$ 126,420 |
| Anchorage, AK |
130 |
0.83 |
3.50 |
$ 57.03 |
$ 118,620 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
2,620 |
5.18 |
21.79 |
$ 53.25 |
$ 110,750 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
170 |
1.16 |
4.87 |
$ 52.74 |
$ 109,700 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN |
270 |
0.26 |
1.09 |
$ 52.73 |
$ 109,680 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
70 |
0.02 |
0.08 |
$ 52.24 |
$ 108,650 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
2,150 |
0.74 |
3.12 |
$ 51.07 |
$ 106,230 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
300 |
0.11 |
0.47 |
$ 49.93 |
$ 103,850 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
1,300 |
0.23 |
0.95 |
$ 49.60 |
$ 103,160 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
1,790 |
0.21 |
0.87 |
$ 48.25 |
$ 100,370 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
