Ship Captains & Mates vs Railroad Conductors
Median pay is about $14k higher for Ship Captains & Mates. The usual entry education is postsecondary for Ship Captains & Mates and high school for Railroad Conductors.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Ship Captains & Mates | Railroad Conductors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $92,460, higher | $78,000 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $63,880 | $65,610, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $127,180, higher | $83,820 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +4.0% Growing fast, higher | +0.9% Stable |
| Openings a year | 3,800 | 3,000 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Postsecondary | High school |
| Difficulty modeled | 3.4 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | High |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 6th pct | 59th pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: speaking, monitoring, active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.