Ship captain earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$49.21 per hour

$102,350 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$39.43 per hour

$82,020 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$30.76 per hour

$63,980 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$23.52 per hour

$48,920 per year

10th percentile

Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:

$15.04 per hour

$31,280 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 12% less than similar careers in Massachusetts. On average, they make less than air traffic controllers but more than ship loaders.

Career Median Salary
Air traffic controller salary $92K
Transportation planner salary $89K
Customs broker salary $79K
Logistician salary $78K
Aircraft mechanic salary $76K
Ship captain salary $64K
Shipmate salary $64K
Aviation inspector salary $63K
Freight and cargo inspector salary $63K
Ship loader salary $68K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)