Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Salary in Houston, TX
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $118,830 a year — 29% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $92,427 take-home, or $7,702 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$17,313
- Social Security (6.2%)$7,367
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,723
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$92,427
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels pay by experience in Houston, TX
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $68,840 | $33.10 | $57,259 | $4,772 |
| 25th percentile | $73,340 | $35.26 | $60,425 | $5,035 |
| Median (50th) | $118,830 | $57.13 | $92,427 | $7,702 |
| 75th percentile | $145,560 | $69.98 | $110,756 | $9,230 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $176,420 | $84.82 | $131,849 | $10,987 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $118,830 buys in Houston, TX
Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels's $92,427 take-home pay has the buying power of $93,712 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Houston, TX has 3.3× the national concentration of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels, adjusted for cost of living
Houston, TX ranks #1 of 1 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston, TX | $118,830 | $92,427 | $93,712 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 1 metros →
About the job: captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard.
- Typical education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +4.0% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels make in Houston, TX?
The median captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $118,830 a year, or about $57.13 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $73,340 and $145,560.
What is a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?
On the median $118,830 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $92,427 a year ($7,702 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.
Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels?
Pay here is 29% above the national median of $92,460. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $93,712 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #1 of 1 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels afford rent in Houston, TX?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 17% of a median captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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