Ship captain earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$81.11 per hour

$168,710 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$42.93 per hour

$89,290 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$24.93 per hour

$51,850 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:

$20.23 per hour

$42,080 per year

10th percentile

Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:

$15.95 per hour

$33,180 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 about the same as related careers in Michigan. On average, they make less than air traffic controllers but more than transportation planners.

Career Median Salary
Air traffic controller salary $99K
Commercial pilot salary $76K
Ship captain salary $52K
Shipmate salary $52K
Logistician salary $78K
Freight and cargo inspector salary $76K
Transportation planner salary $73K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)