Ship captain earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$34.75 per hour

$72,287 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$29.96 per hour

$62,309 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$25.40 per hour

$52,830 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$21.53 per hour

$44,793 per year

10th percentile

Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:

$18.56 per hour

$38,610 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Ship captain salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Texas $98,990
Oregon $86,920
Oklahoma $86,570
Maryland $85,930
New York $84,400
Washington $82,870
Mississippi $79,090
Louisiana $78,970
Indiana $74,810
Pennsylvania $74,780
Iowa $73,720
New Jersey $73,590
Alabama $72,970
Delaware $72,660
Minnesota $71,130
Virginia $70,990
Alaska $69,400
Connecticut $64,970
California $63,110
Florida $62,080
Kentucky $61,620
Georgia $60,180
South Carolina $58,390
Maine $56,870
Massachusetts $56,450
Wisconsin $53,650
Hawaii $52,830
New Hampshire $52,390
Michigan $51,850
Ohio $46,390
North Carolina $45,540
Illinois $43,670
Virgin Islands, U.S. $41,120
Tennessee $40,460
Rhode Island $40,420
Puerto Rico $28,580

How do ship captain salaries compare to similar careers?

Ship captains earn 7% less than similar careers in Hawaii. On average, they make less than freight and cargo inspectors but more than highway maintenance workers.

Career Median Salary
Freight and cargo inspector salary $75K
Avionics technician salary $68K
Customs broker salary $71K
Aircraft mechanic salary $55K
Traffic technician salary $54K
Ship captain salary $53K
Bus driver salary $44K
Truck driver salary $46K
Shipmate salary $47K
Highway maintenance worker salary $40K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)