Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

Job zone 3: medium preparationO*NET 53-5021.00

Pay and outlook shown for

median pay per year, Texas (no San Antonio figure is published for this career)

$65k10th$111kMedian$171k90th

New workers start near $64,850; experienced workers reach $170,800. About 3,400 people do this job in Texas.

Job outlook

U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.

Typical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award · Experience: Less than 5 years

No program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

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

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.

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.

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