Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Salary
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $119,630 a year, or about $57.51 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $139,348 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 16.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $120K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
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What this looks like in Lake Charles
Lake Charles sits well above the national pay line for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels, local pay runs about 29% higher than the U.S. median of $92K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,217/month, 16.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Lake Charles offers a genuinely strong financial position for captains, mates, and pilots of water vesselss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $104K | $122K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $122K | $131K |
| Baton Rouge | $129K | $142K |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $121K | $130K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $120K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $65K spread from bottom to top.
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $139K | +50% | 450 |
| Tennessee | $133K | +44% | 940 |
| Louisiana | $117K | +27% | 6,830 |
| Texas | $111K | +20% | 3,400 |
| California | $110K | +19% | 2,420 |
| New York | $105K | +13% | 1,930 |
| Mississippi | $104K | +13% | 570 |
| Washington | $104K | +12% | 1,560 |
| Iowa | $98K | +6% | 80 |
| Oregon | $97K | +5% | 350 |
| Indiana | $92K | -0% | 1,010 |
| New Jersey | $90K | -2% | 510 |
| Alaska | $88K | -5% | 710 |
| Virginia | $88K | -5% | 2,270 |
| West Virginia | $85K | -8% | 110 |
| Missouri | $84K | -10% | 420 |
| Minnesota | $81K | -12% | 110 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -14% | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $78K | -16% | 650 |
| Georgia | $77K | -17% | 220 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | -17% | 250 |
| Florida | $76K | -18% | 5,040 |
| New Hampshire | $76K | -18% | 70 |
| Connecticut | $76K | -18% | 380 |
| Wisconsin | $74K | -20% | 170 |
| Delaware | $73K | -21% | 50 |
| Hawaii | $73K | -21% | 700 |
| Maine | $73K | -21% | 360 |
| Illinois | $70K | -25% | 900 |
| North Carolina | $69K | -25% | 490 |
| Alabama | $69K | -25% | 350 |
| Vermont | $64K | -31% | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -34% | 580 |
| Arizona | $59K | -37% | 40 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -38% | 520 |
| Ohio | $56K | -39% | 420 |
| Michigan | $54K | -42% | 640 |
| Utah | $50K | -46% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 38 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessel afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
Yes — at the median salary of $120K, rent takes 16.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,551/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is captains, mates, and pilots of water vessel a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $120K here vs. $92K nationally.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels?
Lake Charles pays $120K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $139K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $119,630 a year, that works out to about $58 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,190, and experienced captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels can clear $123,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $120K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,335/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 16.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels salary go in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels salary is worth about $139,348 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.