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Deckhand salary
Average deckhand salary
$56,163
Deckhand Salary Insights
The average salary for a deckhand stands at $56,163 annually. This figure can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the type of employer. For instance, deckhands working in high-demand areas or specialized fields often see increased compensation.
In states like California and Alaska, salaries tend to be higher due to the cost of living and demand for maritime work. Additionally, deckhands in commercial shipping or fishing industries typically earn more than those in recreational boating.
As you plan your career path, consider the potential for salary growth. With experience, deckhands can advance to supervisory roles, which often come with higher pay. Exploring job opportunities across various states and industries will provide a clearer picture of your earning potential as a deckhand.
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Where can a Deckhand earn more?
Deckhand salary estimates from across the web
Average deckhand salary by state
The average deckhand salary in New Jersey, New York, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average deckhand salary states are Wyoming, Washington, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for deckhands
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $81,973 | $39.41 |
| 2 | New York | $81,158 | $39.02 |
| 3 | Delaware | $79,866 | $38.40 |
| 4 | Maryland | $78,941 | $37.95 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $77,771 | $37.39 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $74,988 | $36.05 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $71,583 | $34.41 |
| 8 | Nevada | $57,062 | $27.43 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $78,596 | $37.79 |
| 10 | Illinois | $60,328 | $29.00 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $63,508 | $30.53 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $66,991 | $32.21 |
| 13 | Ohio | $59,962 | $28.83 |
| 14 | Virginia | $63,907 | $30.72 |
| 15 | Michigan | $55,057 | $26.47 |
| 16 | Vermont | $60,543 | $29.11 |
| 17 | Arizona | $53,044 | $25.50 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $48,668 | $23.40 |
| 19 | Iowa | $49,857 | $23.97 |
| 20 | Indiana | $48,292 | $23.22 |
| 21 | Alaska | $47,585 | $22.88 |
| 22 | Maine | $48,866 | $23.49 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $52,466 | $25.22 |
| 24 | Texas | $49,286 | $23.70 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $53,442 | $25.69 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $46,545 | $22.38 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $45,654 | $21.95 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $48,402 | $23.27 |
| 29 | Alabama | $43,415 | $20.87 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $45,395 | $21.82 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $47,260 | $22.72 |
| 32 | Florida | $41,091 | $19.76 |
| 33 | Kansas | $45,239 | $21.75 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $44,814 | $21.55 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $40,198 | $19.33 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $38,800 | $18.65 |
| 37 | California | $48,291 | $23.22 |
| 38 | Missouri | $34,193 | $16.44 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $38,235 | $18.38 |
| 40 | Georgia | $40,789 | $19.61 |
| 41 | Washington | $30,782 | $14.80 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $37,817 | $18.18 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $35,014 | $16.83 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $37,316 | $17.94 |
| 45 | Montana | $33,016 | $15.87 |
| 46 | Oregon | $28,548 | $13.72 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $31,471 | $15.13 |
| 49 | Idaho | $29,275 | $14.07 |
| 50 | Colorado | $28,788 | $13.84 |
| 51 | Utah | $27,757 | $13.34 |
Highest paying cities for deckhands
The highest-paying cities for deckhands are Bayonne, NJ, Boston, MA, and Alexandria, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayonne, NJ | $84,028 | $40.40 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $71,307 | $34.28 |
| 3 | Alexandria, VA | $66,789 | $32.11 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $64,153 | $30.84 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $61,243 | $29.44 |
| 6 | Missouri City, TX | $50,166 | $24.12 |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | $48,966 | $23.54 |
| 8 | Houma, LA | $47,283 | $22.73 |
| 9 | Mobile, AL | $45,871 | $22.05 |
| 10 | Owensboro, KY | $44,956 | $21.61 |
| 11 | Juneau, AK | $42,587 | $20.47 |
| 12 | Evansville, IN | $41,872 | $20.13 |
| 13 | Jacksonville, FL | $40,311 | $19.38 |
| 14 | Memphis, TN | $38,678 | $18.60 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $35,707 | $17.17 |
| 16 | Seattle, WA | $30,699 | $14.76 |
Deckhand salary details
A deckhand's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $145,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a deckhand's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $145,000 | $12,083 | $70 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $56,163 | $4,680 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
Highest paying deckhand jobs
The highest paying types of deckhands are deck cadet, deck seaman, and merchant marine.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet | $41,427 | $3,452 | $19.92 | 2,651 |
| Bosun | $52,884 | $4,407 | $25.43 | 143 |
| Able Bodied Seaman | $54,062 | $4,505 | $25.99 | 422 |
| Tankerman | $52,133 | $4,344 | $25.06 | 459 |
| Ordinary Seaman | $52,664 | $4,389 | $25.32 | 169 |
Top companies hiring deckhands now:
Which companies pay deckhands the most?
Deckhand salaries at Enterprise Products Partners and Goldbelt Falcon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average deckhand salary at companies like Martin Midstream GP and GPAC are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enterprise Products Partners | $105,274 | $50.61 |
| 2 | Goldbelt Falcon | $104,885 | $50.43 |
| 3 | Martin Midstream GP | $102,375 | $49.22 |
| 4 | GPAC | $91,370 | $43.93 |
| 5 | Tetra Tech | $76,131 | $36.60 |
| 6 | Foss & Co | $59,124 | $28.43 |
| 7 | Weeks Marine | $55,655 | $26.76 |
| 8 | EPCO Holdings, Inc. | $54,498 | $26.20 |
| 9 | SLS | $53,752 | $25.84 |
| 10 | Lehigh Hanson | $52,776 | $25.37 |
| 11 | TG Gallagher | $51,751 | $24.88 |
| 12 | Oldcastle Infrastructure | $51,453 | $24.74 |
| 13 | Global Diving & Salvage | $50,350 | $24.21 |
| 14 | Associated Terminals | $50,130 | $24.10 |
| 15 | Savage | $49,927 | $24.00 |
| 16 | ADM | $48,508 | $23.32 |
| 17 | Great Lakes Dredge & Dock | $46,803 | $22.50 |
| 18 | Canal Barge | $46,523 | $22.37 |
| 19 | Vulcan Materials | $46,120 | $22.17 |
| 20 | American Commercial Lines | $45,250 | $21.75 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Deckhand salary trends
The average deckhand salary has risen by $10,152 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average deckhand earned $46,011 annually, but today, they earn $56,163 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for deckhands over the last decade.
Compare deckhand salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average deckhand salary over time
Compare deckhand salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Deckhand salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $56,200 | $27.00 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $54,400 | $26.14 | +5.9% |
| 2023 | $51,100 | $24.59 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | $50,900 | $24.48 | -3.3% |
| 2021 | $52,600 | $25.28 | +1.9% |
Recently added deckhand salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulcan Materials Company | Linehaul Deckhand-D. Gray Kimel | Norfolk, VA | 06/26/2025 | $45,914 |
| Lindblad Expeditions Holdings Inc. | Licensed Deckhand | Seattle, WA | 06/24/2025 | $38,088 |
| Alcatraz Cruises | Deckhand (Onboard Guest Services)-Boston Harbor City Cruises | Boston, MA | 06/22/2025 | $33,392 |
| Hornblower Group | Deckhand (Onboard Guest Services)-Boston Harbor City Cruises | Boston, MA | 06/21/2025 | $33,392 |
| Hornblower | Deckhand (Onboard Guest Services)-Boston Harbor City Cruises | Boston, MA | 06/21/2025 | $33,392 |
| 3S Recruitment | Deckhand for 60M M/Y | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 06/19/2025 | $42,000 |
| Southern Devall Towing Co | Experienced Deckhand | Sulphur, LA | 06/17/2025 | $41,740 |
| Topview Sightseeing | Deckhand-Nywt | New York, NY | 06/14/2025 | $37,566 |
| Hagadone Marine Group | Deckhand | Coeur dAlene, ID | 06/13/2025 | $33,392 |
| Stevens Towing Co., Inc. | Deckhand | Islandton, SC | 06/13/2025 | $52,175 |
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