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 $202,188, an Information Technology Supervisor I (12+ years)earns $93,754, an Ship Captain (12+ years)earns $129,819, an Information Technology Manager (12+ years)earns $138,563, an Information Technology Senior Manager (12+ years)earns $169,104,

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 $144,370, California $143,822, Massachusetts $141,906. 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: $164,700; Cruise Ship Captain: $92,942; Ship Officer: $77,123; Ship Operator: $72,621; Ship Engineer: $65,029.

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 June 01, 2026, the average salary for a Ship Captain in the United States is $130,392 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $63.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $145,282
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $117,343 to $138,186
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $105,463

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Ship Captain Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$138,186	$11,516	$2,657	$66
Average	$130,392	$10,866	$2,508	$63
25th Percentile	$117,343	$9,779	$2,257	$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): $202,188
Early Career (1-2 years): $93,754
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $129,819
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $138,563
Expert (over 8 years): $169,104

Levels	Salary
Informati... Level Ship Captain	$202,188
Informati... Level Ship Captain	$93,754
Ship Capt... Level Ship Captain	$129,819
Informati... Level Ship Captain	$138,563
Informati... Level Ship Captain	$169,104

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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: $144,370.
California: $143,822.
Massachusetts: $141,906.

District of Columbia $144,370 California $143,822 Massachusetts $141,906 Washington $141,384 New Jersey $141,332 Alaska $141,149 Connecticut $139,350 New York $138,620

Hawaii $136,286 Rhode Island $135,190 Maryland $134,447 Minnesota $133,430 Colorado $133,039 Illinois $132,909 Oregon $132,413 Delaware $132,048

New Hampshire $131,818 Virginia $131,305 Pennsylvania $129,805 Nevada $129,049 North Dakota $128,801 Michigan $128,410 Wisconsin $128,267 Vermont $127,980

Texas $127,184 Maine $127,132 Arizona $127,054 Ohio $126,963 Georgia $125,763 Indiana $125,163 Wyoming $125,046 Utah $124,863

Iowa $124,785 Kansas $124,159 Louisiana $123,977 North Carolina $123,912 Missouri $123,885 Florida $123,377 Montana $123,103 Nebraska $122,842

Kentucky $122,699 South Carolina $122,177 Tennessee $121,851 Idaho $121,721 New Mexico $120,769 Oklahoma $120,560 Alabama $119,791 South Dakota $118,500

Arkansas $117,796 West Virginia $117,418 Mississippi $116,284

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: $164,463
San Francisco: $162,663
Oakland: $159,235

San Jose, CA $164,463

San Francisco, CA $162,663

Oakland, CA $159,235

New York, NY $150,132

Paramus, NJ $148,307

Queens Village, NY $148,300

Passaic, NJ $148,176

Bergenfield, NJ $148,164

Stamford, CT $147,878

Huntington, NY $147,824

Newark, NJ $146,861

Bridgeport, CT $146,585

Vallejo, CA $146,326

New Brunswick, NJ $146,274

Petaluma, CA $146,196

Middlesex, NJ $145,948

Somerset, NJ $145,856

Santa Cruz, CA $145,687

Boston, MA $144,892

Monterey, CA $144,434

Seattle, WA $144,135

Santa Rosa, CA $144,109

Los Angeles, CA $144,070

Juneau, AK $143,731

Washington, DC $143,588

Orange, CA $143,123

Santa Ana, CA $142,779

Long Beach, CA $142,649

Anaheim, CA $142,623

Anchorage, AK $142,558

Santa Maria, CA $142,166

Everett, WA $142,140

Danbury, CT $141,681

Bremerton, WA $141,501

Tacoma, WA $141,032

New Suffolk, NY $141,029

Sacramento, CA $140,993

Santa Barbara, CA $140,849

Trenton, NJ $140,706

San Diego, CA $140,706

Brockton, MA $140,563

Fairbanks, AK $140,243

Lompoc, CA $139,911

Lowell, MA $139,805

Ventura, CA $139,780

Nashua, NH $139,754

Stockton, CA $139,741

Modesto, CA $138,789

Poughkeepsie, NY $138,502

Olympia, WA $138,255

Kennewick, WA $138,255

New Haven, CT $138,202

Lawrence, MA $137,733

Hartford, CT $137,603

Riverside, CA $137,577

New Bedford, MA $137,446

Richland, WA $137,446

Bakersfield, CA $137,264

San Bernardino, CA $137,212

New Britain, CT $137,198

Atlantic City, NJ $137,198

New London, CT $137,146

Norwich, CT $137,107

Portsmouth, NH $137,081

Boulder, CO $136,805

Portland, OR $136,625

Worcester, MA $136,612

Minneapolis, MN $136,207

Philadelphia, PA $136,025

Honolulu, HI $135,595

Saint Paul, MN $135,532

Vineland, NJ $135,503

Providence, RI $135,125

Chicago, IL $134,747

Bellingham, WA $134,591

Springfield, MA $134,486

Baltimore, MD $134,447

Chico, CA $134,121

Pittsfield, MA $133,769

Manchester, NH $133,521

Spokane, WA $132,948

Denver, CO $132,935

Albany, NY $132,322

Troy, NY $132,270

Nassau, NY $132,130

Schenectady, NY $131,996

Wilmington, DE $131,892

Burlington, VT $131,709

Salem, OR $131,657

Portland, ME $131,253

Yakima, WA $131,122

Rochester, MN $130,718

Reno, NV $130,653

Fresno, CA $130,653

Milwaukee, WI $130,535

Detroit, MI $130,405

Ann Arbor, MI $130,383

Allentown, PA $130,366

Colorado Springs, CO $130,144

Syracuse, NY $130,079

Carson City, NV $130,079

Houston, TX $129,897

Eugene, OR $129,831

Gary, IN $129,675

Springfield, OR $129,571

Bismarck, ND $129,544

Galveston, TX $129,453

Medford, OR $129,258

Fort Collins, CO $129,205

Concord, NH $129,140

Austin, TX $129,101

Mesa, AZ $128,827

Reading, PA $128,814

Phoenix, AZ $128,801

Dallas, TX $128,762

Saint Cloud, MN $128,637

Madison, WI $128,462

Utica, NY $128,110

Rochester, NY $127,902

Des Moines, IA $127,888

Raleigh, NC $127,875

Atlanta, GA $127,680

Battle Creek, MI $127,641

Salt Lake City, UT $127,602

Lancaster, PA $127,406

Harrisburg, PA $127,223

Kansas City, MO $127,093

Champaign, IL $127,067

Kansas City, KS $127,067

Fort Worth, TX $127,054

Columbus, OH $127,032

Boca Raton, FL $127,002

Pittsburgh, PA $126,950

Richmond, VA $126,897

Indianapolis, IN $126,871

Cleveland, OH $126,858

Las Vegas, NV $126,702

Cincinnati, OH $126,702

Petersburg, VA $126,506

Huntsville, AL $126,311

Lansing, MI $126,223

Lebanon, PA $126,206

Pueblo, CO $126,193

Appleton, WI $126,154

Buffalo, NY $126,102

Dayton, OH $126,063

Racine, WI $126,037

Charlotte, NC $126,024

Saint Louis, MO $125,985

York, PA $125,907

Elkhart, IN $125,907

Gastonia, NC $125,882

Billings, MT $125,850

Beaumont, TX $125,815

Lorain, OH $125,789

Benton Harbor, MI $125,763

Toledo, OH $125,737

Binghamton, NY $125,672

Rock Hill, SC $125,659

Rockford, IL $125,594

Springfield, IL $125,541

Elyria, OH $125,528

Fargo, ND $125,528

Flagstaff, AZ $125,437

Fort Lauderdale, FL $125,359

Duluth, MN $125,281

Miami, FL $125,281

Cheyenne, WY $125,189

Grand Forks, ND $125,189

Bangor, ME $124,902

Cedar Rapids, IA $124,759

Durham, NC $124,704

Louisville, KY $124,694

Grand Rapids, MI $124,668

Hialeah, FL $124,655

Casper, WY $124,472

Scranton, PA $124,316

New Orleans, LA $124,277

Virginia Beach, VA $124,264

Akron, OH $124,198

Peoria, IL $124,029

Sarasota, FL $124,003

Nashville, TN $123,912

Omaha, NE $123,912

Green Bay, WI $123,912

Baton Rouge, LA $123,846

Charleston, SC $123,820

Jamestown, NY $123,755

Davenport, IA $123,755

Tucson, AZ $123,690

Saint Petersburg, FL $123,612

Tampa, FL $123,586

Evansville, IN $123,507

Port Arthur, TX $123,507

Bradenton, FL $123,455

Santa Fe, NM $123,220

Orlando, FL $122,986

Clearwater, FL $122,947

Canton, OH $122,673

La Crosse, WI $122,673

Albuquerque, NM $122,595

Newport News, VA $122,582

High Point, NC $122,542

Ogden, UT $122,490

Corpus Christi, TX $122,386

Norfolk, VA $122,308

Laramie, WY $122,308

Rock Island, IL $122,229

Saginaw, MI $122,203

Jacksonville, FL $122,190

Salisbury, NC $122,164

Boise, ID $122,138

Moline, IL $122,073

Fort Myers, FL $122,034

Memphis, TN $122,008

Tulsa, OK $121,943

Waterloo, IA $121,864

Spartanburg, SC $121,734

Lincoln, NE $121,669

Fort Wayne, IN $121,643

Provo, UT $121,630

Cedar Falls, IA $121,473

San Antonio, TX $121,421

Greensboro, NC $121,369

South Bend, IN $121,356

Savannah, GA $121,212

Muskegon, MI $121,160

Birmingham, AL $121,147

Winston Salem, NC $121,083

Lake Charles, LA $120,769

Anderson, IN $120,743

Lexington, KY $120,704

Augusta, GA $120,665

Greenville, SC $120,665

Lima, OH $120,560

Wichita, KS $120,547

Tuscaloosa, AL $120,547

Columbia, SC $120,430

Springfield, OH $120,404

Asheville, NC $120,195

Bloomington, IN $120,104

Knoxville, TN $119,635

Shreveport, LA $119,622

Wilmington, NC $119,452

Roanoke, VA $119,452

Topeka, KS $119,217

Frankfort, KY $119,203

Oklahoma City, OK $119,113

Chillicothe, OH $119,061

Longview, TX $119,048

Melbourne, FL $119,035

Sioux Falls, SD $118,826

Mobile, AL $118,813

Terre Haute, IN $118,761

Altoona, PA $118,683

Amarillo, TX $118,592

Killeen, TX $118,552

Fayetteville, AR $118,448

Chattanooga, TN $118,409

Sioux City, IA $118,292

Idaho Falls, ID $118,266

Lynchburg, VA $118,161

Gainesville, FL $117,992

Portsmouth, OH $117,927

Little Rock, AR $117,900

Lafayette, LA $117,848

Youngstown, OH $117,848

Daytona Beach, FL $117,770

Clarksville, TN $117,757

Pensacola, FL $117,744

Temple, TX $117,735

Hopkinsville, KY $117,353

Erie, PA $117,327

Florence, SC $117,275

Charleston, WV $117,066

Great Falls, MT $117,001

Macon, GA $116,818

Tallahassee, FL $116,805

Fayetteville, NC $116,779

Waco, TX $116,753

Helena, MT $116,662

Pine Bluff, AR $116,612

Vincennes, IN $116,453

Lubbock, TX $116,401

Alamogordo, NM $116,323

Twin Falls, ID $116,205

Rapid City, SD $116,166

Jackson, MS $115,932

Huntington, WV $115,922

Greenville, MS $115,918

Parkersburg, WV $115,785

Montgomery, AL $115,762

Wichita Falls, TX $115,632

Springfield, MO $115,632

Biloxi, MS $115,566

Monroe, LA $115,436

Johnstown, PA $115,345

Sumter, SC $115,293

Columbus, GA $115,280

Pascagoula, MS $115,032

Abilene, TX $115,032

Kingsport, TN $114,693

Albany, GA $114,693

Gulfport, MS $114,654

Alexandria, LA $114,223

Fort Smith, AR $113,897

El Paso, TX $113,545

Las Cruces, NM $112,959

Harlingen, TX $112,627

Pocatello, ID $112,607

Florence, AL $112,437

Brownsville, TX $112,411

Mcallen, TX $112,137

Dothan, AL $111,955

Columbus, MS $111,180

Altus, OK $110,572

Lawton, OK $110,325

Pierre, SD $109,855

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.

Information Security: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Information Security	$139,519	7%
Consulting	$136,912	5%
Collaboration	$136,912	5%
Innovation	$136,912	5%
IT Operations	$136,912	5%
Disaster Recovery	$136,912	5%

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 June 01, 2026

$117,343

Average $130,392/year

$138,186

$9,779

Average $10,866/month

$11,516

$2,257

Average $2,508/week

$2,657

$56

Average $63/hour

$66

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$138,186	$11,516	$2,657	$66
Average	$130,392	$10,866	$2,508	$63
25th Percentile	$117,343	$9,779	$2,257	$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 $88,978 in 2023 to around $88,751 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

$88,978

2024

$89,854

2025

$88,751

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$88,978
2024	$89,854
2025	$88,751
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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