The Average Salary of American Merchant Ship Captains | Chron.

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The Average Salary of American Merchant Ship

Captains
by Will Charpentier , Demand Media

USNS Bob Hope, a civilian-crewed, Navy-owned ship, provides freight-related

support for the military.

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Qualifications for Becoming an Oiler on a Merchant Marine Ship
What Is the Job Description of a Merchant Mariner?
An American merchant ship captain is a licensed U.S. Merchant Marine master
mariner in command of a civilian or government-owned ship. These ships almost
always carry freight, since there is only one American-flagged cruise ship. The joy
of a life spent working at sea has offsetting factors for some, including long
absences from land -- between 260 and 365 days at a time.
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Average Salary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that ship's officers -- captains, mates
and pilots of water vessels is the description in the BLS information -- earn an
average of $71,760 per year, or $34.50 an hour. Civil service mariners employed by
the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command earn a maximum of $219,159 per year, or
$600.44 per day for 365 days aboard. Civilian captains working on support vessels
in America's offshore oil fields earn up to $800 per day, or about $219,000 per year,
for 273 days' work.

Job Requirements
The captain of an American merchant ship must have completed a radar
observer's course and basic and advanced courses in firefighting. The captain
must have the approval of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the form of
a Transportation Worker Identification Credential. The captain must also pass an
examination, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard, in navigation, safety,
seamanship and the rules for operating a ship.

How to Get a License

to Drive a Cruise Ship

The Salary of a Third

Mate Merchant Mariner

The Average Pay of a

Banquet Captain

Related Reading: What Is the Meaning of Average Salary?

Where They Work

Merchant ship captains can work worldwide. Their employment may range from operating ships for the
government to operating ships for exploration and oil service companies. Some work for research
organizations, such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute or Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Job Outlook
According to the BLS, the outlook is brighter for a captain than most other jobs. While BLS puts the growth rate
for most industries at 14.3 percent from 2010 to 2020, it projects the growth rate for water transportation
occupations will range up to 20 percent during the same period.
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The Average Salary of American Merchant Ship Captains | Chron.com

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References (5) (#)

About the Author
Will Charpentier is a writer who specializes in boating and maritime subjects. A retired ship captain, Charpentier
holds a doctorate in applied ocean science and engineering. He is also a certified marine technician and the
author of a popular text on writing local history.

Photo Credits
Getty Images/Getty Images News/Getty Images

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2014-06-18