Occupation Profile

Industries Employing

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

(SOC Code : 53-5021)

in California

Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats, that travel into and out of harbors, estuaries, straits, and sounds and on rivers, lakes, bays, and oceans. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard. Exclude "Motorboat Operators" (53-5022).

Employers are usually looking for candidates with Work experience in a related occupation .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2023	1st Qtr	$54.34	$35.62	$51.97	$60.35

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Total Job Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2018 - 2028	2,000	2,100	100	5.0	2,010

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Possible Licenses Required and Issuing Authority

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License Title

License Authority

For-Hire Operator`s License

Department of Parks and Recreation
Division of Boating and Waterways
Yacht and Ship Broker Licensing Unit
http://www.dbw.ca.gov

About Licenses

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Private Colleges, Universities, an

1,519

13.5%

Support Activities for Water Transport

357

10.7%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.

Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.

Compute positions, set courses, and determine speeds, using charts, area plotting sheets, compasses, sextants, and knowledge of local conditions.

Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.

Adjust navigation according to weather conditions.

Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.

Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.

Conduct safety drills with crew.

Monitor the loading or discharging of cargo or passengers.

Maintain boats or equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, or life preservers.

More Tasks for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels , More Tasks for Ship and Boat Captains , More Tasks for Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge , More Tasks for Pilots, Ship

Top Skills used in this Job

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

More Skills for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels , More Skills for Ship and Boat Captains , More Skills for Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge , More Skills for Pilots, Ship

Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Spatial Orientation - The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.

Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.

Depth Perception - The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.

Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

More WorkValues for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels , More WorkValues for Ship and Boat Captains , More WorkValues for Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge , More WorkValues for Pilots, Ship

Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

More Interests for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels , More Interests for Ship and Boat Captains , More Interests for Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge , More Interests for Pilots, Ship

Alternate Titles

Captains: Barge Captains; Charter Boat Captains; Ferry Boat Captains; Masters; Relief Captains; Ship Captains; Tugboat Captains Mates: Barge Mates; Cargo Mates; Chief Mates; Deck Officers; First Mates; Second Mates; Third Mates; Training Mates; Tugboat Mates; Vessel Masters Pilots: Bar Pilots; Docking Pilots; Harbor Pilots; Marine Pilots; River Pilots; Ship Pilots; Towboat Pilots