Average Captains, Mates, And Pilots Of Water Vessels Salary in Paducah, KY-IL

BLS did not publish a wage for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in Paducah, KY-IL in the latest release, but in 2024 the local median hourly wage was $42.60. There are 700 workers employed locally today.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates for Paducah, KY-IL (metro area).

No annual salary published for this location. BLS does not publish an annual wage estimate for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in Paducah, KY-IL. This is common for occupations where most work is project-based, hourly, or on irregular schedules (actors, athletes, musicians, dancers). No wage figures were published at all for this location in the latest release.

Local employment

Workers tracked locally: 700
How common this job is here: 58.50×; More concentrated here than nationally — this metro area is unusually strong in this occupation.

The last time BLS reported wages here

The latest release does not include a wage figure for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in Paducah, KY-IL, but earlier releases did. Here is the most recent year with a published wage.

Last reporting year: 2024
Median hourly wage (2024): $42.60/hr
Median annual wage (2024): $88,600
Employment (2024): 1,080

This data is from the 2024 BLS release. Recent figures may differ — small-sample suppression is common for this occupation.

Where captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels earn the most per hour

Locations where BLS did publish hourly wage data for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels this release, ranked highest to lowest.

By hourly wage

Top-paying states

Maryland: $66.80/hr
Tennessee: $63.80/hr
Louisiana: $56.33/hr
Texas: $53.55/hr
California: $52.93/hr
New York: $50.39/hr
Mississippi: $50.11/hr
Washington: $49.87/hr

By hourly wage

Top-paying metros

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN: $62.68/hr
Baton Rouge, LA: $62.14/hr
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: $59.91/hr
New Orleans-Metairie, LA: $58.51/hr
Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA: $58.08/hr
Lake Charles, LA: $57.51/hr
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: $57.13/hr
Lafayette, LA: $55.87/hr

National job outlook

BLS publishes national employment projections for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels from 2024 to 2034. These projections are national and not broken down by state.

Projected growth: +0.5%; 200 net jobs over the projection period
Annual openings: 4,300; Includes growth plus replacements
Typical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience: Less than 5 years

Related occupations

Other jobs in the same field. Many of these follow similar hourly or project-based pay patterns.