SOC 53-5021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels — Providence
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
Median pay for this occupation in Providence, RI is $75,430 a year, trailing the national median of $92,460 by 18.4%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +0.5%
- Openings per year
- 4,300
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
7.1% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Providence, RI is $75,430 a year, trailing the national median of $92,460 by 18.4%. Half of workers earn between $56,200 and $100,660. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $43,870 and the ninetieth at $144,770.
The area has 280 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.4 of every thousand jobs. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 246th of 601 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $43,870 | −52.6% |
| 25th | $56,200 | −39.2% |
| Median (50th) | $75,430 | −18.4% |
| 75th | $100,660 | +8.9% |
| 90th | $144,770 | +56.6% |
| Mean | $83,940 | −9.2% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Providence sit close to the national average, so $75,430 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$75,430as reported by BLSLocal price level
101.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$74,096US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $75,430 a year, 18.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $43,870 to $144,770 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 280 jobs in this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in Providence, RI?
The median annual wage is $75,430, or $36.27 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $92,460, so pay in Providence, RI is 18.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Providence, RI earns more than $144,770 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $43,870 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 280 jobs in this occupation in Providence, RI. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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