The average salary for a ship captain in the United States is around $72,340 per year.
Avg Salary
Ship captains earn an average yearly salary of $72,340.
Wages typically start from $37,270 and go up to $153,700.
31% above national average Updated in 2019
Ship captain earnings by seniority
Top-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$73.89 per hour
$153,700 per year
Senior-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$50.64 per hour
$105,330 per year
Mid-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$34.78 per hour
$72,340 per year
Junior-level ship captain earnings begin at:
$24.05 per hour
$50,020 per year
Starting level ship captain earnings begin at:
$17.92 per hour
$37,270 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 the United States. On average, they make less than air traffic controllers but more than freight and cargo inspectors.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Air traffic controller salary | $115K |
| Commercial pilot salary | $88K |
| Ship captain salary | $72K |
| Transportation planner salary | $78K |
| Shipmate salary | $72K |
| Ship engineer salary | $75K |
| Freight and cargo inspector salary | $76K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)