Ship captain earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$72.98 per hour

$151,800 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$54.90 per hour

$114,190 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$36.45 per hour

$75,810 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$34.63 per hour

$72,030 per year

10th percentile

Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:

$23.26 per hour

$48,380 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Ship captain salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Iowa $97,700
Oregon $97,050
Indiana $92,000
Arkansas $90,720
New Jersey $90,310
Alaska $88,230
Virginia $87,610
West Virginia $85,290
Missouri $83,670
Minnesota $80,920
Oklahoma $79,110
Kentucky $79,090
Massachusetts $77,950
Georgia $77,090
Rhode Island $76,790
Florida $76,040
New Hampshire $75,870
Connecticut $75,810
Wisconsin $74,390
Delaware $73,280
Hawaii $72,960
Maine $72,770
Illinois $69,600
North Carolina $69,170
Alabama $68,920
Vermont $64,020
Pennsylvania $61,420
Arizona $58,700
South Carolina $57,660
Ohio $56,070
Michigan $53,590
Virgin Islands, U.S. $50,970
Utah $50,010
Puerto Rico $32,360
Maryland $138,950
Tennessee $132,710
Louisiana $117,160
Texas $111,390
California $110,090
New York $104,800
Mississippi $104,220
Washington $103,730

How do ship captain salaries compare to similar careers?

Ship captains earn 6% more than similar careers in Connecticut. On average, they make less than freight and cargo inspectors but more than travel agents.

Career Median Salary
Freight and cargo inspector salary $92K
Aircraft mechanic salary $97K
Customs broker salary $86K
Ship captain salary $76K
Shipmate salary $76K
Logistician salary $85K
Flight attendant salary $78K
Travel agent salary $61K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)