Ship Captains & Mates vs Sailors & Marine Oilers
Median pay is about $41k higher for Ship Captains & Mates. The usual entry education is postsecondary for Ship Captains & Mates and no formal credential for Sailors & Marine Oilers.
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 | Sailors & Marine Oilers |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $92,460, higher | $51,520 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $63,880, higher | $41,430 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $127,180, higher | $67,590 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +4.0% Growing fast, higher | +3.2% Growing |
| Openings a year | 3,800 | 3,600 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Postsecondary | No formal credential |
| Difficulty modeled | 3.4 / 5 | 2.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 6th pct | 21st pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Ship Captains & Mates
- Writing
Only Sailors & Marine Oilers
- Active Learning
Both lean on speaking, monitoring, active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension.
More comparisons
Compare Ship Captains & Mates with
Compare Sailors & Marine Oilers with
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.