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The differences between vessel captains and chief engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a vessel captain and a chief engineer. Additionally, a chief engineer has an average salary of $108,050, which is higher than the $57,545 average annual salary of a vessel captain.
The top three skills for a vessel captain include USCG, research vessels and vessel maintenance. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.
| Vessel Captain | Chief Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $57,545 | $108,050 |
| Hourly rate | $27.67 | $51.95 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 2,545 | 88,473 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Vessel captains and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vessel Captain | Chief Engineer | |
| Average salary | $57,545 | $108,050 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $96,000 | Between $65,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | BGC Partners |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a vessel captain and a chief engineer in terms of educational background:
| Vessel Captain | Chief Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between vessel captains' and chief engineers' demographics:
| Vessel Captain | Chief Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 3.2% White, 74.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |