Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 57.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,812/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,164/month.

Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $76K here vs. $92K nationally.

Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s -18%.

The median is $75,640 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,060, and experienced captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels can clear $91,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,865/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,812/month, which eats 57.8% 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.

Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels salary is worth about $75,640 in national-average purchasing power.

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.