An official State of Ohio site. Here’s how you know
Live Chat
Contact

Welcome,
New User

User: New User

Date: 07/02/2025

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.

View All

    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.
    • Observe loading or unloading of cargo or equipment to ensure that handling and storage are performed according to specifications.
    • Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.
    • Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.
    • Purchase supplies or equipment.
    • Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
    • Tow and maneuver barges or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.
    • Provide assistance in maritime rescue operations.
    • Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.
    • Interview and hire crew members.
    • Signal crew members or deckhands to rig tow lines, open or close gates or ramps, or pull guard chains across entries.
    • Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.
    • Maintain boats or equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, or life preservers.
    • Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.
    • Supervise crews in cleaning or maintaining decks, superstructures, or bridges.
    • Learn to operate new technology systems and procedures through instruction, simulators, or models.
    • Stand watches on vessels during specified periods while vessels are under way.
    • Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.
    • Perform various marine duties, such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports or harbors or patrolling beaches.
    • Assign watches or living quarters to crew members.
    • Tow and maneuver barges or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.
    • Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.
    • Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.
    • Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.
    • Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
    • Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.
    • Arrange for ships to be fueled, restocked with supplies, or repaired.
    • Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.
    • Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.
    • Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.
    • Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.
    • Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.

    Skills

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    Career Video

    Video not available
    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • US Annual Salary 88730/yr
    • US Typical Salary
    • US Hourly Wage 42.66/hr
    • US Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 230
    • Yearly Projected Openings 20

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Self Control
    • Leadership
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Attention to Detail
    • Independence

    Tools

    • Aircraft guidance systems
    • Alarm systems
    • Anchor chocks
    • Anchor lines
    • Anchor rollers
    • Anemometers
    • Bench vises
    • Binoculars
    • Blocks or pulleys
    • Bolt cutters
    • Bridge cranes
    • Cargo or container ships
    • Centrifugal pumps
    • Claw hammer
    • Compasses
    • Cruise ships
    • Depth gauges
    • Desktop computers
    • Direction finding compasses
    • Fall protection lanyard
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Fire pump sets
    • Fire retardant apparel
    • Fire suppression system
    • Flares
    • Gas generators
    • Gear pumps
    • Gyroscopic instruments
    • Hoists
    • Insulated clothing for cold environments
    • Insulated or flotation suits
    • Ladders
    • Life rings
    • Life vests or preservers
    • Lifeboats or liferafts
    • Lifts
    • Light enhancing cameras or vision devices
    • Loading equipment
    • Locking pliers
    • Manlift or personnel lift
    • Marine craft communications systems
    • Marine signaling systems
    • Mobile medical services cinch rescue loops
    • Mobile medical services first aid kits
    • Notebook computers
    • Open end wrenches
    • Passenger or automobile ferries
    • Personal computers
    • Pipe wrenches
    • Plotter printers
    • Punches or nail sets or drifts
    • Radarbased surveillance systems
    • Radio navigation instruments
    • Rescue ships or boats
    • Respirators
    • Rope float lines
    • Rotary pumps
    • Safety glasses
    • Safety harnesses or belts
    • Safety helmets
    • Screw Pumps
    • Sextants
    • Sharpening stones or tools or kits
    • Slings
    • Sonars
    • Spanner wrenches
    • Straight edges
    • Tankers
    • Telegraph sounders
    • Triangles
    • Tug boats
    • Two way radios
    • Vehicle navigation systems
    • Vehicular global positioning system GPS
    • Winches

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Facilities management software
    • Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Route navigation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.

    Budget Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Lifestyle Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Workforce Supply Tool

    Workforce Supply Tool

    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

    You can view statewide statistics as well as more region specific information.

    Visit Site
    Powered By: