Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Salary
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA make a median of $93,440 a year, or about $44.93 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $138K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $88,636 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 32.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $93K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels pay in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro tracks closely to the national median, $93K locally vs. $92K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,922/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $113K | $100K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $109K | $98K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $125K | $108K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $76K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $93K. Top earners bring in $138K or more, a $87K 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessel afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $93K, rent takes 34.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,058/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $93K locally vs. $92K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $93K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — below the national median.
How much do captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $93,440 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,960, and experienced captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels can clear $138,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $93K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,539/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 34.7% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels salary is worth about $88,636 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.