What are the main factors that influence a Ship Captain's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Ship Captain's salary?

A Ship Captain's salary grows with experience: an Information Technology Generalist VI (10-12 years)earns $199,305, an Information Technology Supervisor I (12+ years)earns $92,433, an Ship Captain (12+ years)earns $127,868, an Information Technology Manager (12+ years)earns $136,579, an Information Technology Senior Manager (12+ years)earns $166,674,

What are the highest paying states for a Ship Captain?

Ship Captain salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Ship Captain roles are District of Columbia $142,109, California $141,570, Massachusetts $139,683. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Ship Captain roles make?

Salaries for Ship Captain level roles vary by specialization: Captain: $164,500; Cruise Ship Captain: $94,542; Ship Broker: $80,445; Ship Officer: $75,715; Ship Operator: $71,745.

How do different companies affect a Ship Captain's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Ship Captain roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Ship Captain Salary in the United States

How much does a Ship Captain make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Ship Captain in the United States is $128,350 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $62.

However, a Ship Captain's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $144,061
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $116,286 to $136,574
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $105,302

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Ship Captain Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$136,574	$11,381	$2,626	$66
Average	$128,350	$10,696	$2,468	$62
25th Percentile	$116,286	$9,690	$2,236	$56

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Key Factors That Influence Ship Captain Salaries

A Ship Captain's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Ship Captain Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Ship Captain's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $199,305
Early Career (1-2 years): $92,433
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $127,868
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $136,579
Expert (over 8 years): $166,674

Levels	Salary
Informati... Level Ship Captain	$199,305
Informati... Level Ship Captain	$92,433
Ship Capt... Level Ship Captain	$127,868
Informati... Level Ship Captain	$136,579
Informati... Level Ship Captain	$166,674

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Ship Captain Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Ship Captains. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $142,109.
California: $141,570.
Massachusetts: $139,683.

District of Columbia $142,109 California $141,570 Massachusetts $139,683 Washington $139,169 New Jersey $139,118 Alaska $138,938 Connecticut $137,167 New York $136,448

Hawaii $134,151 Rhode Island $133,073 Maryland $132,341 Minnesota $131,340 Colorado $130,955 Illinois $130,827 Oregon $130,339 Delaware $129,980

New Hampshire $129,754 Virginia $129,248 Pennsylvania $127,772 Nevada $127,028 North Dakota $126,784 Michigan $126,399 Wisconsin $126,257 Vermont $125,975

Texas $125,192 Maine $125,141 Arizona $125,064 Ohio $124,974 Georgia $123,793 Indiana $123,203 Wyoming $123,087 Utah $122,908

Iowa $122,831 Kansas $122,214 Louisiana $122,035 North Carolina $121,971 Missouri $121,945 Florida $121,444 Montana $121,175 Nebraska $120,918

Kentucky $120,777 South Carolina $120,264 Tennessee $119,943 Idaho $119,814 New Mexico $118,877 Oklahoma $118,672 Alabama $117,915 South Dakota $116,644

Arkansas $115,951 West Virginia $115,579 Mississippi $114,462

Top Paying Cities for Ship Captains

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $161,887
San Francisco: $160,296
Oakland: $156,740

San Jose, CA $161,887

San Francisco, CA $160,296

Oakland, CA $156,740

New York, NY $148,744

Queens Village, NY $147,782

Paramus, NJ $146,755

Passaic, NJ $146,627

Bergenfield, NJ $146,498

Stamford, CT $146,306

Huntington, NY $146,177

Newark, NJ $145,343

Bridgeport, CT $145,086

New Brunswick, NJ $144,663

Vallejo, CA $144,393

Middlesex, NJ $144,316

Somerset, NJ $144,201

Petaluma, CA $143,905

Santa Cruz, CA $143,405

Boston, MA $143,148

Monterey, CA $142,506

Fairbanks, AK $142,417

Los Angeles, CA $142,173

Washington, DC $142,109

Seattle, WA $141,878

Santa Rosa, CA $141,852

Juneau, AK $141,480

Orange, CA $141,056

Anchorage, AK $140,825

Anaheim, CA $140,735

Santa Ana, CA $140,543

Nassau, NY $140,466

Long Beach, CA $140,414

Danbury, CT $140,376

Santa Maria, CA $139,939

Everett, WA $139,914

Bremerton, WA $139,285

Trenton, NJ $139,041

Sacramento, CA $138,990

San Diego, CA $138,926

Brockton, MA $138,874

Tacoma, WA $138,823

Santa Barbara, CA $138,643

Lowell, MA $138,130

New Suffolk, NY $138,078

Nashua, NH $137,924

Lompoc, CA $137,719

Ventura, CA $137,591

Stockton, CA $137,552

New Haven, CT $137,295

Atlantic City, NJ $136,962

Hartford, CT $136,679

Modesto, CA $136,615

Poughkeepsie, NY $136,333

New Britain, CT $136,269

Kennewick, WA $136,089

Olympia, WA $136,089

New London, CT $136,063

Norwich, CT $136,025

Lawrence, MA $135,961

Bakersfield, CA $135,601

New Bedford, MA $135,422

Riverside, CA $135,422

Richland, WA $135,293

Portsmouth, NH $135,191

Vineland, NJ $135,165

San Bernardino, CA $135,062

Boulder, CO $134,703

Worcester, MA $134,600

Portland, OR $134,485

Saint Paul, MN $134,331

Minneapolis, MN $134,331

Philadelphia, PA $134,151

Honolulu, HI $133,471

Springfield, MA $133,021

Providence, RI $133,009

Chicago, IL $132,636

Bellingham, WA $132,482

Baltimore, MD $132,341

Chico, CA $132,020

Wilmington, DE $131,802

Pittsfield, MA $131,674

Manchester, NH $131,430

Spokane, WA $130,865

Denver, CO $130,852

Albany, NY $130,249

Troy, NY $130,198

Schenectady, NY $129,928

Burlington, VT $129,646

Portland, ME $129,197

Salem, OR $129,094

Yakima, WA $129,068

Ann Arbor, MI $129,030

Rochester, MN $128,670

Reno, NV $128,606

Fresno, CA $128,606

Milwaukee, WI $128,491

Detroit, MI $128,362

Allentown, PA $128,324

Carson City, NV $128,311

Houston, TX $128,119

Colorado Springs, CO $128,106

Syracuse, NY $128,041

Eugene, OR $127,798

Gary, IN $127,644

Bismarck, ND $127,644

Galveston, TX $127,644

Springfield, OR $127,541

Medford, OR $127,233

Fort Collins, CO $127,182

Austin, TX $127,079

Mesa, AZ $126,809

Phoenix, AZ $126,784

Dallas, TX $126,745

Reading, PA $126,668

Saint Cloud, MN $126,617

Concord, NH $126,501

Madison, WI $126,450

Utica, NY $126,103

Raleigh, NC $126,001

Las Vegas, NV $125,988

Rochester, NY $125,898

Des Moines, IA $125,885

Atlanta, GA $125,680

Battle Creek, MI $125,641

Salt Lake City, UT $125,603

Lancaster, PA $125,410

Champaign, IL $125,385

Harrisburg, PA $125,231

Durham, NC $125,115

Kansas City, MO $125,102

Kansas City, KS $125,077

Fort Worth, TX $125,064

Boca Raton, FL $125,012

Cleveland, OH $125,000

Columbus, OH $124,974

Pittsburgh, PA $124,961

Richmond, VA $124,910

Indianapolis, IN $124,884

Cincinnati, OH $124,717

Petersburg, VA $124,525

Lansing, MI $124,242

Billings, MT $124,242

Huntsville, AL $124,242

Lebanon, PA $124,230

Pueblo, CO $124,217

Dayton, OH $124,217

Appleton, WI $124,178

Buffalo, NY $124,127

Racine, WI $124,063

Charlotte, NC $124,050

Saint Louis, MO $124,011

Springfield, IL $123,960

York, PA $123,934

Elkhart, IN $123,934

Gastonia, NC $123,921

Benton Harbor, MI $123,921

Beaumont, TX $123,844

Lorain, OH $123,819

Toledo, OH $123,767

Binghamton, NY $123,703

Rock Hill, SC $123,690

Rockford, IL $123,626

Elyria, OH $123,562

Fargo, ND $123,562

Flagstaff, AZ $123,472

Fort Lauderdale, FL $123,395

Miami, FL $123,318

Duluth, MN $123,113

Bangor, ME $122,946

Cedar Rapids, IA $122,805

Louisville, KY $122,741

Grand Rapids, MI $122,715

Hialeah, FL $122,702

Casper, WY $122,522

Scranton, PA $122,368

New Orleans, LA $122,330

Virginia Beach, VA $122,317

Akron, OH $122,253

Peoria, IL $122,086

Sarasota, FL $122,060

Green Bay, WI $121,971

Baton Rouge, LA $121,906

Charleston, SC $121,881

Nashville, TN $121,842

Jamestown, NY $121,817

Davenport, IA $121,817

Tucson, AZ $121,752

Cheyenne, WY $121,714

Saint Petersburg, FL $121,675

Tampa, FL $121,650

Omaha, NE $121,624

Evansville, IN $121,573

Port Arthur, TX $121,573

Bradenton, FL $121,521

Santa Fe, NM $121,290

Orlando, FL $121,162

Clearwater, FL $121,021

La Crosse, WI $120,751

Canton, OH $120,751

Grand Forks, ND $120,713

Tulsa, OK $120,674

Albuquerque, NM $120,674

Newport News, VA $120,661

High Point, NC $120,623

Ogden, UT $120,572

Corpus Christi, TX $120,469

Laramie, WY $120,392

Norfolk, VA $120,392

Rock Island, IL $120,315

Saginaw, MI $120,289

Jacksonville, FL $120,276

Salisbury, NC $120,251

Memphis, TN $120,225

Moline, IL $120,161

Fort Myers, FL $120,122

Waterloo, IA $119,955

Spartanburg, SC $119,827

Lincoln, NE $119,763

Fort Wayne, IN $119,737

Birmingham, AL $119,596

Cedar Falls, IA $119,570

Provo, UT $119,558

Springfield, OH $119,545

San Antonio, TX $119,519

Greensboro, NC $119,468

South Bend, IN $119,455

Winston Salem, NC $119,442

Boise, ID $119,404

Savannah, GA $119,314

Muskegon, MI $119,083

Lima, OH $118,929

Lake Charles, LA $118,877

Anderson, IN $118,852

Lexington, KY $118,813

Augusta, GA $118,775

Greenville, SC $118,775

Wichita, KS $118,659

Tuscaloosa, AL $118,659

Columbia, SC $118,544

Bloomington, IN $118,223

Roanoke, VA $118,146

Asheville, NC $117,979

Knoxville, TN $117,761

Shreveport, LA $117,748

Wilmington, NC $117,581

Frankfort, KY $117,337

Oklahoma City, OK $117,247

Chillicothe, OH $117,196

Longview, TX $117,183

Topeka, KS $117,145

Mobile, AL $116,952

Terre Haute, IN $116,901

Erie, PA $116,888

Altoona, PA $116,824

Melbourne, FL $116,785

Amarillo, TX $116,734

Killeen, TX $116,695

Fayetteville, AR $116,593

Sioux Falls, SD $116,503

Chattanooga, TN $116,426

Idaho Falls, ID $116,413

Gainesville, FL $116,143

Portsmouth, OH $116,079

Little Rock, AR $116,054

Lynchburg, VA $116,054

Youngstown, OH $116,002

Lafayette, LA $116,002

Temple, TX $115,951

Daytona Beach, FL $115,925

Clarksville, TN $115,912

Pensacola, FL $115,900

Hopkinsville, KY $115,515

Charleston, WV $115,502

Florence, SC $115,438

Sioux City, IA $115,361

Macon, GA $114,988

Tallahassee, FL $114,976

Fayetteville, NC $114,950

Wichita Falls, TX $114,924

Waco, TX $114,924

Pine Bluff, AR $114,873

Vincennes, IN $114,629

Lubbock, TX $114,578

Great Falls, MT $114,501

Alamogordo, NM $114,488

Abilene, TX $114,385

Rapid City, SD $114,218

Monroe, LA $114,218

Albany, GA $114,141

Huntington, WV $114,128

Jackson, MS $114,116

Greenville, MS $114,103

Parkersburg, WV $113,974

Montgomery, AL $113,949

Johnstown, PA $113,923

Springfield, MO $113,820

Biloxi, MS $113,756

Sumter, SC $113,487

Columbus, GA $113,474

Twin Falls, ID $113,397

Pascagoula, MS $113,230

Kingsport, TN $112,896

Gulfport, MS $112,858

Alexandria, LA $112,434

Fort Smith, AR $112,113

El Paso, TX $111,767

Helena, MT $111,600

Las Cruces, NM $111,189

Harlingen, TX $110,830

Pocatello, ID $110,714

Florence, AL $110,676

Brownsville, TX $110,650

Dothan, AL $110,445

Mcallen, TX $110,381

Columbus, MS $109,431

Altus, OK $108,840

Lawton, OK $108,597

Pierre, SD $108,134

What Skills Can Increase a Ship Captain's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Leadership (Mentioned in 7.96% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Telecommunications (Mentioned in 2.08% Job Postings): Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio or optical. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that feasible with the human voice.
Computer Hardware (Mentioned in 1.8% Job Postings): Maintaining, configuring, and setting up computer hardware to increase business efficiency and staff productivity.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Leadership	7.96%
Telecommunications	2.08%
Computer Hardware	1.8%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Ship Captain's salary.

Computer Science: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Computer Science	$133,484	4%
Project Management	$133,484	4%
Initiative	$132,200	3%
Leadership	$132,200	3%
Planning	$130,917	2%
Problem Solving	$129,633	1%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Ship Captain's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Ship Captains enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Ship Captain with a Associate's Degree is between $116,520 and $125,625).

Ship Captain Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Ship Captain

No Diploma 2.8%

High School 23.6%

Associates 11.1%

Bachelors 48.6%

Masters 13.9%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	2.8%
High School	23.6%
Associates	11.1%
Bachelors	48.6%
Masters	13.9%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Ship Captain Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Ship Captain's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$116,286

Average $128,350/year

$136,574

$9,690

Average $10,696/month

$11,381

$2,236

Average $2,468/week

$2,626

$56

Average $62/hour

$66

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$136,574	$11,381	$2,626	$66
Average	$128,350	$10,696	$2,468	$62
25th Percentile	$116,286	$9,690	$2,236	$56

Salaries of jobs related to Ship Captain

Salary Trends for Ship Captain

Salaries for a Ship Captain can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $87,714 in 2023 to around $87,490 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Ship Captain salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Ship Captain Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$87,714

2024

$88,577

2025

$87,490

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$87,714
2024	$88,577
2025	$87,490
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Ship Captain

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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