Boat deckhand vs fishing vessel captain

The differences between boat deckhands and fishing vessel captains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a boat deckhand and a fishing vessel captain. Additionally, a fishing vessel captain has an average salary of $38,051, which is higher than the $35,090 average annual salary of a boat deckhand.

The top three skills for a boat deckhand include boats, safety drills and unload materials. The most important skills for a fishing vessel captain are GPS, , and .

Boat deckhand vs fishing vessel captain overview

	Boat Deckhand	Fishing Vessel Captain
Yearly salary	$35,090	$38,051
Hourly rate	$16.87	$18.29
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	674	2,571
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Boat deckhand vs fishing vessel captain salary

Boat deckhands and fishing vessel captains have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Boat Deckhand	Fishing Vessel Captain
Average salary	$35,090	$38,051
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $58,000	Between $19,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Baton Rouge, LA	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	David Evans and Associates	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between boat deckhand and fishing vessel captain education

There are a few differences between a boat deckhand and a fishing vessel captain in terms of educational background:

	Boat Deckhand	Fishing Vessel Captain
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Boat deckhand vs fishing vessel captain demographics

Here are the differences between boat deckhands' and fishing vessel captains' demographics:

	Boat Deckhand	Fishing Vessel Captain
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4%	Male, 92.1% Female, 7.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 5.9% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.8%	Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 5.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 8.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between boat deckhand and fishing vessel captain duties and responsibilities

Boat deckhand example responsibilities.

Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve successful whole shipments of wild Alaskan salmofrozen and gut.
Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve successful whole shipments of wild Alaskan salmofrozen and gut.
Involve in client relations, navigation, hunter safety, boat maintenance and general operation of an Alaskan bush camp.

Fishing vessel captain example responsibilities.

Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve successful whole shipments of wild Alaskan salmofrozen and gut.
Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve successful whole shipments of wild Alaskan salmofrozen and gut.
Monitor checkout stations to ensure that they have adequate cash available and that they are staffed appropriately.

Boat deckhand vs fishing vessel captain skills

Common boat deckhand skills

Boats, 28%
Safety Drills, 27%
Unload Materials, 27%
Coast Guard Regulations, 9%
General Maintenance, 6%
Engine Room, 4%

Common fishing vessel captain skills

GPS, 100%

Updated January 8, 2025

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