Compare salary growth, lifestyle factors, AI impact, and pivot opportunities side by side. Pivot from Ship Captain to Captain Pivot from Captain to Ship Captain
Ship Captain appears more likely to be enhanced by AI tools, while Captain may face relatively more disruption or slower augmentation.
Commanding officer of a watercraft, responsible for crew and cargo safety.
View Full Profile →Captain roles help organizations coordinate people, processes, decisions, and resources to achieve business goals.
View Full Profile →| Metric | Ship Captain | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Salary | $65,000 | $125,590 |
| Year 5 Salary | $110,000 | $133,243 |
| Year 10 Salary | $155,000 | $140,897 |
| Top Salary | $240,000 | $240,000 |
Based on 5 analyzed tasks
Moderate; autonomous ships are in testing, but a human captain is required for ethics/safety.
Based on 5 analyzed tasks
AI may automate some routine research, documentation, analysis, or communication tasks in this career, but human judgment, context, quality review, and stakeholder communication remain important.
Degree field requirement
Driver's license requirement
High school diploma / GED requirement
Professional certification or license
Driver's license requirement
Professional certification or license
Pivot paths coming soon.
Move between related career paths by building adjacent skills and experience.
Typical Salary: $90000-$130000
Skills Needed: incident command, team leadership, firefighting, training
Difficulty: Moderate