Ship captain earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$87.48 per hour

$181,950 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$49.06 per hour

$102,040 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$38.10 per hour

$79,240 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$24.41 per hour

$50,770 per year

10th percentile

Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:

$15.20 per hour

$31,620 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 8% more than similar careers in Iowa. On average, they make less than commercial pilots but more than freight and cargo inspectors.

Career Median Salary
Commercial pilot salary $88K
Ship captain salary $79K
Shipmate salary $79K
Air traffic controller salary $81K
Aviation inspector salary $64K
Freight and cargo inspector salary $64K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)