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Vessel captain vs vessel master

The differences between vessel 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 vessel captain and a vessel master. Additionally, a vessel captain has an average salary of $57,545, which is higher than the $54,895 average annual salary of a vessel master.

The top three skills for a vessel captain include USCG, research vessels and vessel maintenance. The most important skills for a vessel master are TWIC, USCG, and coast guard.

Vessel captain vs vessel master overview

Vessel CaptainVessel Master
Yearly salary$57,545$54,895
Hourly rate$27.67$26.39
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs2,5458,404
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age4242
Years of experience66

Vessel captain vs vessel master salary

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

Vessel CaptainVessel Master
Average salary$57,545$54,895
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $96,000Between $21,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between vessel captain and vessel master education

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

Vessel CaptainVessel Master
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversitySUNY Maritime College

Vessel captain vs vessel master demographics

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

Vessel CaptainVessel Master
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 96.0% Female, 4.0%Male, 98.5% Female, 1.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between vessel captain and vessel master duties and responsibilities

Vessel captain example responsibilities.

  • Lead a platoon that earn numerous awards for jamming opposition force artillery nets and conducting counterattacks on opposition electronic warfare platoons.
  • Gain leadership skills through years of experience and apply leadership skills when appoint as tower captain.
  • Direct the installation, operation and maintenance of military radio and telecommunications assets for combat infantry units and fix telephone facilities.
  • Schedule maintenance projects to ensure maximum boat availability.
  • Master of ATB, hawser tug/barge combinations operating worldwide and GOM.

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).

Vessel captain vs vessel master skills

Common vessel captain skills
  • USCG, 25%
  • Research Vessels, 23%
  • Vessel Maintenance, 12%
  • Stcw, 10%
  • Vessel Operations, 9%
  • DP, 6%
Common vessel master skills
  • TWIC, 33%
  • USCG, 28%
  • Coast Guard, 18%
  • Safety Equipment, 16%
  • Boats, 4%
  • DP, 1%

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