Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Salary in California

Half of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels roles in California report earning more than $110,090 a year and half report earning less — that is the median. The mean (average) of $129,580 is pulled up or down by the highest and lowest earners, which is why the median is usually the better benchmark.

Salary range

A quarter of reported salaries fall below $73,630 and a quarter are above $132,310, so most captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels pay sits between those two figures. These percentiles describe how pay is spread across all reported roles — they are not a direct measure of years of experience.

What can affect captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels pay?

• Years of experience and level of responsibility
• Employer type and size
• Specialization within the occupation
• Certifications and licensing
• Industry
• Hours worked, shift patterns and overtime
• The local labor market where the job is based