Ship captain earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$47.64 per hour

$99,090 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$37.40 per hour

$77,790 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$26.96 per hour

$56,070 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$18.59 per hour

$38,660 per year

10th percentile

Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:

$18.04 per hour

$37,530 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 10% less than similar careers in Ohio. On average, they make less than freight and cargo inspectors but more than truck drivers.

Career Median Salary
Freight and cargo inspector salary $77K
Aircraft mechanic salary $81K
Customs broker salary $79K
Locomotive engineer salary $63K
Avionics technician salary $60K
Ship captain salary $56K
Shipmate salary $56K
Flight attendant salary $62K
Ship loader salary $58K
Truck driver salary $60K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)