Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels earn an average annual salary of $99,297, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 12.6% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,970 Workforce in 2023
The Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$99,297 Average Wage
In 2023, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels earned an average of $99,297.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Salary distribution for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Employment Growth Projections
3.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
8,796 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 20.5%
10,598 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 45.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.8% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Wage Trends by Industry
-20.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,680 employees, $93,595 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 650 employees, $96,118 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 280 employees, $81,791 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 250 employees, $106,828 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 140 employees, $73,976 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 140 employees, $111,817 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 70 employees, $91,624 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 50 employees, $95,824 avg wage
- Salinas MSA: 30 employees, $74,324 avg wage
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA: 20 employees, $75,912 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 20 employees, $69,622 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Diversity
Demographic information on Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in 2023 was 1,970 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels workers.
Education level distribution for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Skills
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Monitoring, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels include Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, Law and Government, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Spatial Orientation, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
Daily Activities
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.
About
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
The average yearly wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels was $99,297 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-5021 - Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels reports an average salary of $99,297.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,970 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.