Captain vs vessel master

The differences between captains and vessel masters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a captain and a vessel master. Additionally, a vessel master has an average salary of $54,895, which is higher than the $52,161 average annual salary of a captain.

The top three skills for a captain include customer service, safety standards and food preparation. The most important skills for a vessel master are TWIC, USCG, and coast guard.

Captain vs vessel master overview

	Captain	Vessel Master
Yearly salary	$52,161	$54,895
Hourly rate	$25.08	$26.39
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	4,430	8,404
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Captain vs vessel master salary

Captains and vessel masters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Captain	Vessel Master
Average salary	$52,161	$54,895
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $85,000	Between $21,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Google	-
Best paying industry	Transportation	-

Differences between captain and vessel master education

There are a few differences between a captain and a vessel master in terms of educational background:

	Captain	Vessel Master
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	SUNY Maritime College

Captain vs vessel master demographics

Here are the differences between captains' and vessel masters' demographics:

	Captain	Vessel Master
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%	Male, 98.5% Female, 1.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.8% 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%

Differences between captain and vessel master duties and responsibilities

Captain example responsibilities.

Delegate responsibilities to crew members, verify inventory, manage payroll, steer the ship and operate dredge.
Lead the team as defensive captain to win the national championship of the most elite football level in Mexico.
Lead a platoon that earn numerous awards for jamming opposition force artillery nets and conducting counterattacks on opposition electronic warfare platoons.
Participate in intramural volleyball, basketball and indoor and outdoor soccer.
Ensure the synchronized delivery of additional manpower to combat operations by utilizing all available assets and effective logistics management.
Complete CPR and a training.

Vessel master example responsibilities.

Manage records and assist customers with billing and reservations.organize and assist with running of events.
Perform basic maintenance and upkeep on trucks, boats, booms, pumps, and other equipment.
Operate two 40,000 DWT tankers off of east coast of Canada in ice congest waters (SLS - Quebec).

Captain vs vessel master skills

Common captain skills

Customer Service, 21%
Safety Standards, 11%
Food Preparation, 11%
POS, 5%
Role Model, 5%
Logistics, 4%

Common vessel master skills

TWIC, 33%
USCG, 28%
Coast Guard, 18%
Safety Equipment, 16%
Boats, 4%
DP, 1%