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The differences between boat captains and port captains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a boat captain and a port captain. Additionally, a port captain has an average salary of $57,720, which is higher than the $43,632 average annual salary of a boat captain.
The top three skills for a boat captain include vessel maintenance, boats and CPR. The most important skills for a port captain are vessel operations, safety program, and USCG.
| Boat Captain | Port Captain | |
| Yearly salary | $43,632 | $57,720 |
| Hourly rate | $20.98 | $27.75 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 2,860 | 3,973 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A boat captain is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing boat operations and managing staff, ensuring efficient operations for a safe and successful voyage. With their years of experience, they have the authority to develop and implement strategies, delegate responsibilities among staff, conduct safety inspections before and after every journey, direct maintenance strategies, implement solutions if issues arise, and make significant decisions. In larger sea vessels, a boat captain may also act as the host and welcome passengers, communicating with them regularly throughout the journey.
Port captains must have skills in vessel maintenance, safety programs, USCG, cargo operations, and ABS. This career requires a U.S. Coast Guard Deck license, with licensure as a Master being preferrable, as well as five years' experience working with vessels in a leadership capacity. Those who embark on this career path supply their maritime expertise to prepare ships. They ensure that all vessels contain the necessary equipment and crew for their respective missions.
Boat captains and port captains have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Boat Captain | Port Captain | |
| Average salary | $43,632 | $57,720 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $66,000 | Between $34,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Englewood Cliffs, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Crowley Holdings Inc. |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a boat captain and a port captain in terms of educational background:
| Boat Captain | Port Captain | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY Maritime College |
Here are the differences between boat captains' and port captains' demographics:
| Boat Captain | Port Captain | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 3.2% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |