Ship captain earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$58.63 per hour

$121,940 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$58.63 per hour

$121,940 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$49.02 per hour

$101,960 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$30.03 per hour

$62,460 per year

10th percentile

Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:

$18.89 per hour

$39,290 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 about the same as related careers in Oregon. On average, they make less than air traffic controllers but more than freight and cargo inspectors.

Career Median Salary
Air traffic controller salary $96K
Shipmate salary $102K
Ship captain salary $102K
Commercial pilot salary $81K
Transportation planner salary $77K
Freight and cargo inspector salary $77K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)