Qualifications to become a boat or ship captain include a bachelor’s degree from a merchant marine academy with a focus on marine transportation, navigation, or a related field. Licensure and certification may vary due to the type of vessel, but typically include the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) from Homeland Security and a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC). A captain usually starts as a crew member to gain the experience and skills needed to be the leader of a crew. Boat captains ensure the safety of all personnel and equipment, as well as the smooth operation of any tasks.

If you are interested in a job related to Captain, here are some popular related job searches with the most open positions on ZipRecruiter.

Top Types Of Captain Jobs

List of the top 10 highest paying Captain positions in 2026, with salary ranges, according to ZipRecruiter.

Captains License
Salary range: $38,500 - $68,000
Captains License is a typical job search query Most salaries for Captains License jobs pay between $38,500 (25th percentile) and $68,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Captains License job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
100 Ton Crew Boat Captain
Salary range: $33,500 - $63,500
100 Ton Crew Boat Captain is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for 100 Ton Crew Boat Captain jobs pay between $33,500 (25th percentile) and $63,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for 100 Ton Crew Boat Captain job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Boat Captain Housing Included
Salary range: $33,500 - $63,500
Boat Captain Housing Included is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Boat Captain Housing Included jobs pay between $33,500 (25th percentile) and $63,500 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Boat Captain Housing Included job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.
Ferry Captain
Salary range: $36,000 - $86,000
Ferry Captain is a typical job search query Most salaries for Ferry Captain jobs pay between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $86,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Ferry Captain job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Charter Pilot
Salary range: $100,000 - $155,000
A charter pilot, also known as an air taxi, flies passengers on a private plane whenever and wherever the paying client asks. These are typically flights with short durations, and charter pilots often fly single-engine planes. In some cases, your duties in this involve making regularly scheduled flights if you work for a small airline company. Your responsibilities are the same as other pilots in the industry and include the transportation of a customer and compliance with all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and regulations. You can find an air taxi at a major airport, as well as smaller, private ones.
Full Time Port Captain
Salary range: $36,000 - $86,000
Full Time Port Captain is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Full Time Port Captain jobs pay between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $86,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Full Time Port Captain job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Six Pack Captain
Salary range: $33,500 - $63,500
Six Pack Captain is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Six Pack Captain jobs pay between $33,500 (25th percentile) and $63,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Six Pack Captain job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Charter Captain
Salary range: $36,000 - $86,000
Charter Captain is a typical job search query Most salaries for Charter Captain jobs pay between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $86,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Charter Captain job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Captain Offshore
Salary range: $36,000 - $86,000
Captain Offshore is a typical job search query Most salaries for Captain Offshore jobs pay between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $86,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Captain Offshore job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Boat
Salary range: $33,500 - $63,500
Boat is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Boat jobs pay between $33,500 (25th percentile) and $63,500 (75th percentile) annually. You’ll find many open positions nationwide for Boat job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

All Jobs Captain Jobs 10 of the Most Popular Types of Captain Jobs in 2026