Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a captain
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a captain at United States Army Corps of Engineers, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for captains that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for captains. We found that Nevada is the best state in the nation for captains, and people in Monterey earn the most in the field.
Nevada is the best state for jobs for captains, and Maine is the worst. The most common pay in Nevada is $54,621, while the median pay in Maine is $42,501.If you are currently seeking employment as a captain, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for captains in 2025
1. Nevada
Total captain jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $54,621 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 2.8
2. Pennsylvania
Total captain jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $56,850 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
3. Michigan
Total captain jobs: 35 Average annual salary: $52,920 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
4. North Carolina
Total captain jobs: 40 Average annual salary: $53,528 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
5. Ohio
Total captain jobs: 26 Average annual salary: $53,228 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
6. Arizona
Total captain jobs: 20 Average annual salary: $53,336 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
7. New Jersey
Total captain jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $56,723 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
8. Connecticut
Total captain jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $54,365 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
9. Delaware
Total captain jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $57,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.29
10. Indiana
Total captain jobs: 24 Average annual salary: $51,205 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
Captain jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a captain
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a captain
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $54,621 | $33,000 | 2,998,039 | 16 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $56,850 | $33,000 | 12,805,537 | 27 |
| 3 | Michigan | $52,920 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 35 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $53,528 | $31,000 | 10,273,419 | 40 |
| 5 | Ohio | $53,228 | $31,000 | 11,658,609 | 26 |
| 6 | Arizona | $53,336 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 20 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $56,723 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 27 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $54,365 | $32,000 | 3,588,184 | 13 |
| 9 | Delaware | $57,410 | $33,000 | 961,939 | 1 |
| 10 | Indiana | $51,205 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 24 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $51,396 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 22 |
| 12 | Virginia | $56,090 | $32,000 | 8,470,020 | 22 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $50,311 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 16 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $50,552 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 17 |
| 15 | Texas | $51,156 | $31,000 | 28,304,596 | 75 |
| 16 | California | $57,525 | $34,000 | 39,536,653 | 71 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $54,014 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 0 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $56,687 | $33,000 | 693,972 | 4 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $51,429 | $30,000 | 4,454,189 | 8 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $50,620 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 13 |
| 21 | New York | $56,065 | $33,000 | 19,849,399 | 24 |
| 22 | Maryland | $56,802 | $33,000 | 6,052,177 | 11 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $52,306 | $31,000 | 1,059,639 | 2 |
| 24 | Florida | $50,692 | $32,000 | 20,984,400 | 76 |
| 25 | Oregon | $52,904 | $32,000 | 4,142,776 | 7 |
| 26 | Alaska | $51,450 | $35,000 | 739,795 | 3 |
| 27 | Alabama | $49,835 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 8 |
| 28 | Washington | $51,164 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 22 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $49,119 | $30,000 | 3,004,279 | 5 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $56,926 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 4 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $51,116 | $31,000 | 2,088,070 | 0 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $49,002 | $30,000 | 3,930,864 | 6 |
| 33 | Georgia | $50,246 | $30,000 | 10,429,379 | 18 |
| 34 | Utah | $48,521 | $30,000 | 3,101,833 | 9 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $49,576 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 2 |
| 36 | Colorado | $47,637 | $30,000 | 5,607,154 | 27 |
| 37 | Illinois | $50,608 | $29,000 | 12,802,023 | 23 |
| 38 | Kansas | $48,273 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 7 |
| 39 | Iowa | $48,632 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 3 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | $49,781 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 16 |
| 41 | Idaho | $48,511 | $30,000 | 1,716,943 | 2 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $47,175 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 5 |
| 43 | Missouri | $48,845 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 8 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $47,326 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 5 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $47,913 | $29,000 | 755,393 | 0 |
| 46 | Montana | $46,515 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 3 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $49,271 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 8 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $46,730 | $29,000 | 579,315 | 1 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $47,200 | $28,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 50 | Vermont | $44,312 | $26,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 51 | Maine | $42,501 | $25,000 | 1,335,907 | 0 |
Highest paying states for captains
| Rank | State | Avg. Captain Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $54,621 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $56,850 |
| 3 | Michigan | $52,920 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $53,528 |
| 5 | Ohio | $53,228 |
| 6 | Arizona | $53,336 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $56,723 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $54,365 |
| 9 | Delaware | $57,410 |
| 10 | Indiana | $51,205 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $51,396 |
| 12 | Virginia | $56,090 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $50,311 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $50,552 |
| 15 | Texas | $51,156 |
| 16 | California | $57,525 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $54,014 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $56,687 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $51,429 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $50,620 |
| 21 | New York | $56,065 |
| 22 | Maryland | $56,802 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $52,306 |
| 24 | Florida | $50,692 |
| 25 | Oregon | $52,904 |
| 26 | Alaska | $51,450 |
| 27 | Alabama | $49,835 |
| 28 | Washington | $51,164 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $49,119 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $56,926 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $51,116 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $49,002 |
| 33 | Georgia | $50,246 |
| 34 | Utah | $48,521 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $49,576 |
| 36 | Colorado | $47,637 |
| 37 | Illinois | $50,608 |
| 38 | Kansas | $48,273 |
| 39 | Iowa | $48,632 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | $49,781 |
| 41 | Idaho | $48,511 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $47,175 |
| 43 | Missouri | $48,845 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $47,326 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $47,913 |
| 46 | Montana | $46,515 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $49,271 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $46,730 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $47,200 |
| 50 | Vermont | $44,312 |
| 51 | Maine | $42,501 |
Search for captain jobs
Updated January 8, 2025