The average salary for a ship captain in Louisiana is around $117,160 per year.
Avg Salary
Ship captains earn an average yearly salary of $117,160.
Wages typically start from $60,480 and go up to $206,860.
86% above national average Updated in 2025
Ship captain earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$99.45 per hour
$206,860 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$63.76 per hour
$132,620 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$56.33 per hour
$117,160 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$38.38 per hour
$79,830 per year
10th percentile
Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:
$29.08 per hour
$60,480 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 |
| New Jersey | $90,310 |
| Alaska | $88,230 |
| Virginia | $87,610 |
| West Virginia | $85,290 |
| Missouri | $83,670 |
| Minnesota | $80,920 |
| Oklahoma | $79,110 |
| 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 |
| Kentucky | $61,620 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,420 |
| Arizona | $58,700 |
| South Carolina | $57,660 |
| Ohio | $56,070 |
| Michigan | $53,590 |
| Utah | $50,010 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $41,120 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,580 |
| 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 Louisiana. On average, they make less than air crew officers but more than transportation planners.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Air crew officer salary | $121K |
| Ship engineer salary | $103K |
| Ship captain salary | $117K |
| Shipmate salary | $117K |
| Commercial pilot salary | $96K |
| Air traffic controller salary | $100K |
| Transportation planner salary | $91K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)