How long does it take to become a Captain?

It takes one year or less to become a captain. That is the time it takes to learn specific captain skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 4 to 6 years years to become a captain.

First Officer vs. Captain

A first officer is the right-hand man or woman of the captain and their main role is to assist with flying the aircraft, looking after its systems, and talking with air traffic control, while the captain is responsible for overseeing all of the operations of the crew, loading of the aircraft, and operation of the aircraft.

How To Become A Captain: What It Is and Career Path

What is a captain and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Captains are the bosses of boats and ships. They let nothing that happens on their vessel go undetected. They watch out for the safety of passengers or cargo on-board and make sure everyone follows safety procedures.

Captains oversee the functioning of all mechanical and electric devices, supervise the navigation of the ship, and keep contact with the destination port and closest coast guard services. In close collaboration with the shipmate, they manage and supervise the day-to-day duties and activities of the staff. Captains are the ones responsible for hiring, training, motivating, and eventually firing members of the crew. The promotion of crew members is the captain's decision as well.

Captains are intimately familiar with maritime law, and they are responsible for making every essential decision during the journey. They have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, as they are required to keep the crew content and efficient and passengers calm and pleased.

ScoreCaptainUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,161

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.5

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.08%

Asian 3.11%

Black or African American 6.66%

Hispanic or Latino 8.70%

Unknown 4.69%

White 75.76%

Gender

female 34.55%

male 65.45%

Age - 40.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40.5

Stress level

9.5

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a captain

Explore captain education requirements

Most common captain degrees

Bachelor's

67.4 %

Associate

11.3 %

High School Diploma

10.0 %

Start to develop specific captain skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	21.03%
Safety Standards	11.21%
Food Preparation	10.97%
POS	5.36%
Role Model	4.78%

Complete relevant captain training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New captains learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a captain based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real captain resumes.

Gain additional captain certifications

Captain certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific captain certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for captains include Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

More About Certifications

Research captain duties and 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.

Prepare your captain resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your captain resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a captain resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable captain resume templates

Build a professional captain resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your captain resume.