Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels vs Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: $92K vs $59K Median Pay

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels vs Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: what changes?

Consider Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels if you want to command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Consider Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers if you would rather drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). Both list postsecondary nondegree award; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels and Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

National median pay (2025): $92,460
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,800

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels brief

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

National median pay (2025): $58,640
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 214,500

Know before you choose

Operating or riding in vehicles is a recurring part of the work rather than an occasional trip.

See the full Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers brief

How the national numbers differ

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers has the edge on annual openings

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is at 214,500 annual openings, compared with 3,800 annual openings for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels has the edge on median pay

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels is at $92,460, compared with $58,640 for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers.

Typical preparation differs.

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels: Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: Postsecondary nondegree award; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels has the edge on projected growth

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels is at 4% projected growth, compared with 3.8% projected growth for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers.

60.2/ 100

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

70.2/ 100

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels vs Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Dimension	Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels	Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Median pay (2025)	$92,460	$58,640
Pay percentile	77.8 percentile	45.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	4%	3.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	3,800	214,500
2025 employment	41,300	2,221,200
How you qualify	Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years	Postsecondary nondegree award; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels brief Read Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers brief

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels vs Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

How the national numbers differ

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers has the edge on annual openings

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels has the edge on median pay

Typical preparation differs.

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels has the edge on projected growth

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels vs Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

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