Money · 1 of 5
What ship officers make
Median
$92,460
New mate, small boat
$47,420
Master on a large vessel
$170,640
The national median is $92,460 a year, and the bottom tenth start near $47,420. One occupation code covers everyone from a harbor tour boat captain to the master of an ocean-going tanker, which is why the spread is so wide. Deep-sea and harbor pilot work sits at the top, small local boats at the bottom.