Boards foreign-flagged ships entering the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and guides them through narrow channels, rivers, and locks under federal registration. U.S. Coast Guard, Great Lakes Pilotage Rates 2026 Annual Review (Federal Register) puts typical pay at $481,642 a year (2026). BLS does not publish separate figures for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels; it counts them within captain, mate, and pilot of water vessels (SOC 53-5021), whose median pay is $92,460 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 53-5021
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Great Lakes Pilot in four numbers
- Median pay
- $92,460a year, or $44.45/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $47KTop 10% $171K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.0%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,80041,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202541.3K
- Projected 203542.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 41.3K Projected 2035 42.9K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school4.5%
- High school42%
- Certificate36.6%
- Some college5.5%
- Associate's2.2%
- Bachelor's8.4%
Highest education held by captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels Segment Value Less than high school 4.5% High school 42% Certificate 36.6% Some college 5.5% Associate's 2.2% Bachelor's 8.4%
Also advertised as: Registered Great Lakes Pilot, St. Lawrence Seaway Pilot, Lakes Pilot, Federal Great Lakes Pilot, Apprentice Pilot, Great Lakes.
Pay
How much do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels make?
Industry-reported pay
$481,642
U.S. Coast Guard target annual compensation benchmark per fully registered Great Lakes pilot used to set pilotage rates; low is the apprentice pilot wage benchmark.
- Entry level
- $173,391
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Great Lakes Pilotage Rates 2026 Annual Review (Federal Register), 2026 (published pay scale or filing). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels within captain, mate, and pilot of water vessels, whose pay is shown below. Federal Register: Great Lakes Pilotage Rates, 2026 Annual Review (final rule)
Every great lakes pilot in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$92,460
Middle half earn $63,880 to $127,180
- 10th
- $47,420
- 25th
- $63,880
- 75th
- $127,180
- 90th
- $170,640
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,420 |
| 25th | $63,880 |
| Median | $92,460 |
| 75th | $127,180 |
| 90th | $170,640 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $92,460
- Median hourly wage
- $44.45/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $103,720
- People employed
- 36,850
Versus all US occupations
At $92,460, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels earn 81% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $41,480 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 47% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $170,640 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,420, a gap of 3.6×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 67% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Maryland posts the highest raw median ($138,950), but once local prices are taken into account Tennessee leads at $144,454 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Maryland | $138,950 | $132,385 | 450 |
| 2Tennessee | $132,710 | $144,454 | 940 |
| 3Louisiana | $117,160 | $132,824 | 6,830 |
| 4Texas | $111,390 | $114,768 | 3,400 |
| 5California | $110,090 | $99,431 | 2,420 |
| 6New York | $104,800 | $97,108 | 1,930 |
| 7Mississippi | $104,220 | $119,858 | 570 |
| 8Washington | $103,730 | $96,932 | 1,560 |
| 9Iowa | $97,700 | $111,324 | 80 |
| 10Oregon | $97,050 | $93,894 | 350 |
Job outlook
Is Great Lakes Pilot a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +4.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | +4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels to change 4.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,800 openings are projected each year, 9.2% of the 41,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Great Lakes Pilot
Candidates need substantial experience as a licensed officer on large vessels, usually holding a U.S. Coast Guard master or mate license, with time on the Great Lakes. The Coast Guard's Office of Great Lakes Pilotage registers pilots under federal rules, and new pilots start as apprentices with a pilot association, making supervised trips until they meet the requirements to become fully registered.
Many pilots began at a maritime academy or worked their way up from deckhand on lakers and tugs. Registration also requires passing a physical exam and keeping up with route knowledge for the district.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)42%
- Post-Secondary Certificate36.6%
- Bachelor's Degree8.4%
- Some College Courses5.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma4.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 42% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 36.6% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 8.4% |
| Some College Courses | 5.5% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 4.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Great Lakes Pilot do?
Great Lakes pilots take the conn, or advise the master, on foreign ships and other vessels that must carry a registered pilot while moving through the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and the connecting rivers and locks. Federal law requires these ships to take on a pilot because the waters are narrow, shallow, and crowded, and conditions change with weather, ice, and water levels.
Pilots board from a pilot boat, review the ship's handling and equipment with the captain, and then direct the course, speed, and maneuvers through channels and lock approaches, often for many hours at a time. They work through one of three pilot associations, each covering a district, and their rates are set each year by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Day-to-day tasks
- Board inbound and outbound ships from a pilot boat
- Brief the master on the route, conditions, and planned maneuvers
- Direct course, speed, and rudder orders through channels, rivers, and locks
- Coordinate with lock operators, vessel traffic services, and other ships
- Adjust plans for ice, wind, currents, and changing water levels
- Keep up route knowledge and federal registration requirements
- Report hazards, incidents, and navigation changes to the association and Coast Guard
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Pilots board ships by ladder from small boats in all weather, then spend long watches on the bridge, often at night. Work follows the shipping season, which runs from spring ice-out to winter closure, with heavy demand in fall. Assignments come in rotation, so schedules are irregular and time away from home is common during the season.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking3.5
- Monitoring3.5
- Active Listening3.4
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Learning Strategies2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.5 |
| Active Listening | 3.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operation and Control3.6
- Operations Monitoring3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Coordination3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Management of Personnel Resources3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Instructing3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.6 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Facilities management software
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Great Lakes Pilot?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCE) built on O*NET's Captain, Mate, and Pilot of Water Vessels profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Great Lakes Pilot |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.7
- Conventional4.8
- Enterprising4.4
- Investigative2.6
- Social1.9
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Great Lakes Pilot
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
Captain, Mate, and Pilot of Water Vessels
$92,460median a year
Most earn $47K to $171K
+4.0%Certificate - Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Great Lakes Pilot$92,460
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Great Lakes Pilot | $92,460 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Great Lakes Pilot appears on
Questions
Great Lakes Pilot: frequently asked questions
How much do Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels make?
U.S. Coast Guard, Great Lakes Pilotage Rates 2026 Annual Review (Federal Register) reports $481,642 (u.S. Coast Guard target annual compensation benchmark per fully registered Great Lakes pilot used to set pilotage rates; low is the apprentice pilot wage benchmark, 2026). BLS does not publish a separate wage for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels. It counts them within captain, mate, and pilot of water vessels, whose median pay is $92,460 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $63,880 and $127,180, and the top 10% earn $170,640 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Great Lakes Pilot?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 42.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Great Lakes Pilot a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 4.0% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Great Lakes Pilot do?
Great Lakes pilots take the conn, or advise the master, on foreign ships and other vessels that must carry a registered pilot while moving through the Great Lakes, the St. A typical task: board inbound and outbound ships from a pilot boat. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels the most?
The highest state medians for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels are Maryland ($138,950), Tennessee ($132,710), Louisiana ($117,160) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Tennessee moves to the top at $144,454.
What personality type suits a Great Lakes Pilot?
O*NET scores Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.