Ship captain earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$61.09 per hour

$127,060 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$50.79 per hour

$105,650 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$29.53 per hour

$61,420 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$18.55 per hour

$38,580 per year

10th percentile

Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:

$17.65 per hour

$36,710 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 about the same as related careers in Pennsylvania. On average, they make less than avionics technicians but more than truck drivers.

Career Median Salary
Avionics technician salary $117K
Freight and cargo inspector salary $82K
Customs broker salary $81K
Aircraft mechanic salary $78K
Logistician salary $79K
Ship captain salary $61K
Shipmate salary $61K
Locomotive engineer salary $82K
Traffic technician salary $66K
Truck driver salary $59K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)