The average salary for a ship captain in the United States is around $84,941 per year.
Avg Salary
Ship captains earn an average yearly salary of $84,941.
Wages typically start from $42,696 and go up to $168,987.
48% above national average Updated in 2023
Ship captain earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$81.24 per hour
$168,987 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$58.65 per hour
$121,996 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$40.84 per hour
$84,941 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$28.43 per hour
$59,141 per year
10th percentile
Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:
$20.53 per hour
$42,696 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Ship captain salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | $99,460 |
| New York | $98,680 |
| Washington | $95,390 |
| Arkansas | $90,720 |
| Oklahoma | $86,570 |
| Alaska | $81,910 |
| Mississippi | $81,510 |
| Virginia | $80,950 |
| Illinois | $80,240 |
| West Virginia | $79,510 |
| Iowa | $79,240 |
| Kentucky | $79,090 |
| Alabama | $77,630 |
| Minnesota | $77,030 |
| Ohio | $75,600 |
| Delaware | $75,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,640 |
| Maine | $66,390 |
| Michigan | $65,160 |
| Rhode Island | $64,160 |
| Massachusetts | $63,980 |
| South Carolina | $63,970 |
| Connecticut | $62,900 |
| Hawaii | $61,020 |
| Florida | $60,780 |
| Georgia | $59,400 |
| Missouri | $57,060 |
| New Hampshire | $52,390 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $50,970 |
| North Carolina | $49,860 |
| Wisconsin | $49,470 |
| Arizona | $47,470 |
| Tennessee | $40,460 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,360 |
| Indiana | $104,530 |
| New Jersey | $104,020 |
| Texas | $103,340 |
| Oregon | $101,960 |
| Maryland | $101,450 |
| Vermont | $101,230 |
| California | $100,020 |
How do ship captain salaries compare to similar careers?
Ship captains earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than air traffic controllers but more than aviation inspectors.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Air traffic controller salary | $101K |
| Ship captain salary | $85K |
| Commercial pilot salary | $84K |
| Shipmate salary | $84K |
| Freight and cargo inspector salary | $78K |
| Aviation inspector salary | $78K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)