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Ship & Boat Captain

Overview and Key Facts

boat captain
Education
Education
Post high school credential
Median Pay
Median Pay
$85,540
Job Growth
Job Growth
0.50%
(Below US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
40,900

What Do They Do?

A ship and boat captain could...

 
tug boat
Pilot a tugboat to guide an ocean liner through a narrow canal.
aircraft carrier
Position an aircraft carrier in a strategic location.
boat in Antarctica
Transport a research expedition to Antarctica.
fire boat
Navigate a fire boat to the scene of an emergency.
 
tug boat aircraft carrier boat in Antarctica fire boat

Overview Listen to this section

Ship and boat captains have the important job of commanding ships and boats through domestic and deep-sea waterways, so that passengers and cargo arrive safely. To do this, they need knowledge of the mechanical and electrical workings of ships, navigation, signaling, national and international legal rules in waterways, as well as strong leadership skills, since they supervise the work of all other crew members.
Watch this video to find out what it takes to become the captain of a big ship and join the elite club of only 600 active ship captains in the United States!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM8FbzyOUR0

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Ship & Boat Captain?


  1. Operation and Control: ?
  2. Monitoring: ?
  3. Speaking: ?
  4. Judgment and Decision Making: ?
  5. Active Listening: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Ship & Boat Captain might do:
  • 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.
  • Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.
  • Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.
  • Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.
  • Provide assistance in maritime rescue operations.
  • Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.
  • Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.
  • Maintain boats or equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, or life preservers.
  • Signal crew members or deckhands to rig tow lines, open or close gates or ramps, or pull guard chains across entries.
  • Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.
  • Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.
  • Observe loading or unloading of cargo or equipment to ensure that handling and storage are performed according to specifications.
  • Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.
  • Learn to operate new technology systems and procedures through instruction, simulators, or models.
  • Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.
  • Arrange for ships to be fueled, restocked with supplies, or repaired.
  • Supervise crews in cleaning or maintaining decks, superstructures, or bridges.
  • Purchase supplies or equipment.
  • Conduct safety drills such as man overboard or fire drills.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state
No data available for some states (white on the map)

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Ship & Boat Captain Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Ship & Boat Captain jobs (0.50%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Ship & Boat Captain

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

Captains in the merchant marine have the most senior jobs. They must attend officer training schools, qualify for their jobs in a series of examinations over a period of years, and possess the leadership qualities needed to run large, complex organizations.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Post high school credential ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

Prospective captains in the merchant marine should attend one of the maritime academies that provides officer training: the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, or the state academies in California, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Texas. Candidates for the U.S. Naval Academy or U.S. Merchant Marine Academy must be nominated by members of Congress. Applications for the other academies are competitive. Applicants must be between 17 and 22 years of age, single, high school graduates, U.S. citizens, and in good physical condition.

The academies provide three- and four-year training programs in nautical science and practical sea experience. The course of study includes navigation, mathematics, electronics, propulsion systems, electrical engineering, languages, history, and shipping management. Graduates are qualified to work as third mates in the merchant marine.

Graduates must then apply for U.S. Coast Guard certification to work on American ships—a legal requirement for seamen and officers alike. To be certified by the Coast Guard, applicants must be U.S. citizens and possess health certificates from the U.S. Public Health Service.

Third mates must be at least 19 years old. To work their way up through the ranks of third, second, and first mate to captain, they must pass qualifying Coast Guard examinations at each rank. Length of service and the size of the ships on which they have trained are also factors in promotion to captain.

Companies That Hire Ship & Boat Captains

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Read this interview with a vessel captain to discover the skills it takes to become a good ship captain.
I’m in charge of a fairly small ship, but my job is the same as any ship captain’s, which means that I am fully responsible for the ship and crew. I delegate the tasks to other members and head up navigation, scheduling, maintenance, engineering. 
Vessel Captain
Read this interview to meet Captain Erik, who first trained to become a skilled workman in ventilation systems, but then decided he wanted to see a bigger world, and now commands a cruise ship.
Everything you do has an effect on somebody else. It is like a very fine Swiss watch where everything has to fall into place. 
Captain ErikStandal

Nature of the Work

The movement of huge amounts of cargo, as well as passengers, between nations and within our nation, depends on workers in water transportation occupations, also known on commercial ships as merchant mariners. They operate and maintain deep-sea merchant ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, offshore supply vessels, excursion vessels, and other waterborne craft on the oceans, the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, and other waterways, as well as in harbors.

Captains of water vessels command or supervise the operations of ships and water vessels, both within domestic waterways and on the deep sea. Captains or masters are in overall command of the operation of a vessel, and they supervise the work of all other officers and crew. Together with their department heads, captains ensure that proper procedures and safety practices are followed, check to make sure that machinery and equipment are in good working order, and oversee the loading and discharging of cargo or passengers. They also maintain logs and other records tracking the ships' movements, efforts at controlling pollution, and cargo and passengers carried.

Work Environment

At sea, captains are on call 24 hours a day. While in port, a 40-hour workweek is standard. The work can be hazardous—the risks of falls, fire, collision, and sinking are always present. Harsh temperature variations and violent storms are possible at sea.

Captains travel extensively, but they seldom have time to explore the ports they visit. They are away from their home ports for long periods of time.

More Information

Ask Questions

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Additional Resources

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