Water Transportation Workers

How to become a Captains, Mates, and Pilot of Water Vessels

Official title: Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

Also called: Boat Captain, Captain, Ferry Boat Captain, First Mate, Harbor Pilot, Mate, River Pilot, Ship Pilot, Tugboat Captain, Vessel Master

Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard.

Main tasks

Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.
Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.
Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.
Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.
Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.
Stand watches on vessels during specified periods while vessels are under way.

How to become one

Education and training requirements for water transportation workers vary by occupation. There are no educational requirements for entry-level sailors and marine oilers, but other water transportation workers typically complete U.S. Coast Guard-approved training programs.

Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Officer in Charge of Navig Watch.
Apprenticeship: Pilot, Ship.
Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Commercial Fishing; Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer
Licence: A licence is required in 20 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $92,460 a year The middle half earn $63,880 to $127,180.
About 41,300 people work in this job now, and about 42,900 are projected by 2035. (+4%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Captains, Mates, and Pilot of Water Vessels?

How much does a Captains, Mates, and Pilot of Water Vessels earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $92,460 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $63,880 to $127,180.

Is a Captains, Mates, and Pilot of Water Vessels a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 41,300 to about 42,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Captains, Mates, and Pilot of Water Vessels?

Not always. 30% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Officer in Charge of Navig Watch.

Will AI change the work of a Captains, Mates, and Pilot of Water Vessels?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.