Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Salary
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC make a median of $43,780 a year, or about $21.05 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.64), which stretches that salary to about $46,754 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,465/month, about 49.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach’s Regional Price Parity (93.64). 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach
Pay for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach runs about 53% below the U.S. median of $92K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,465/month, which is 48.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for captains, mates, and pilots of water vesselss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in metros near Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $91K | $90K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $48K | $49K |
| Wilmington | $63K | $66K |
| Savannah | $81K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
Entry-level captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $51K 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessel afford a 2BR apartment alone in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 48.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,465/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,313/month. At HUD’s $1,465/month FMR, rent would take 112% 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Local pay runs 53% below the national median — $44K here vs. $92K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach compare to the national average for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels?
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s -53%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels make in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC?
The median is $43,780 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,890, and experienced captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels can clear $73,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,003/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,465/month, which eats 48.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels salary go in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 93.64 (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 $46,754 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.