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Salary comparison

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels vs. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand: Who Earns More?

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss out-earn Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands by $52K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss land at $92,460 and Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands at $40,240. The education gap is real: captains, mates, and pilots of water vessel programs typically require no formal educational credential, while laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss is Maryland ($138,950); for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands it's Minnesota ($46,280).

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median salary
$92,460
$40,240
Hourly rate
$44.45/hr
$19.35/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$47,420
$31,270
Senior level (90th %)
$170,640
$55,140
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
36,850
2,950,280
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Transportation
Transportation
Top-paying state
Maryland
Minnesota

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels median pay.

State
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
California
$110,090
$44,710
New York
$104,800
$44,630
Washington
$103,730
$46,190
Iowa
$97,700
$43,490
Oregon
$97,050
$44,750
Alaska
$88,230
$44,510
Minnesota
$80,920
$46,280
Massachusetts
$77,950
$44,920
Connecticut
$75,810
$43,640
Wisconsin
$74,390
$44,610
Hawaii
$72,960
$44,120
Maine
$72,770
$42,640
Pennsylvania
$61,420
$42,480
Arizona
$58,700
$44,290
Utah
$50,010
$42,370

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss or Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands?

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss earn more nationally. The median is $92,460 for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss versus $40,240 for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands, a difference of $52K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels or Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels or Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand?

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels typically requires no formal educational credential. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand requires no formal educational credential. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss get paid the most?

Maryland is the top-paying state for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss at $138,950/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels vs. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In California, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss earn $110,090 vs. $44,710 for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels salary breakdownView →Full Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salary breakdownView →Best cities for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vesselss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands by take-home payExplore →How to become a captains, mates, and pilots of water vesselsGuide →How to become a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, handGuide →