Prevailing Wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Prevailing wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels is set by DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor a Harbor Pilot or Boat Captain must be paid in Baton Rouge differs substantially from what applies in a coastal resort market. DOL assigns four experience levels, and your offer must clear the floor for your level and worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level officers with limited independent command experience, typically recent license holders who work under direct supervision and handle routine vessel operations on familiar routes or in sheltered waters.
Level 2 applies to qualified officers with moderate experience who exercise independent judgment on standard assignments. This is the most common filing level for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels sponsored on H-1B or green card petitions.
Level 3 fits experienced officers who regularly handle complex or high-traffic waterways, supervise junior crew, and bring specialized operational knowledge, such as deep-draft vessel experience or expertise in a particular port or vessel class.
Level 4 reflects fully competent senior mariners, including senior harbor pilots, chief mates on large commercial vessels, or captains with broad command authority over fleets or high-consequence routes with minimal oversight.
Prevailing Wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Verify your license class matches the SOC
Harbor pilots, ferry boat captains, and tugboat mates often get filed under freight or transportation SOC codes that carry different wage floors. Confirm the LCA cites SOC 53-5021 so your offer is benchmarked against the correct prevailing wage for this occupation.
Flag Gulf Coast metros as high-floor markets
Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Houston consistently post among the highest prevailing wages nationally for this occupation, driven by offshore and inland waterway commerce. If your offer is in those metros, the L2 and L3 floors are substantially above the national median.
Exclude hazard pay and per-diem from wage math
Mariners frequently receive at-sea hazard premiums, rotational per-diem, or vessel allowances. DOL counts only the base wage toward prevailing wage compliance, so an offer that looks competitive with allowances included may fall short of the floor on base salary alone.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring mariners
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, letting you target companies already familiar with the U.S. Coast Guard license requirement and the LCA process for this occupation.
Jobs for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 53-5021.00 alongside Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Boat Captain Prevailing Wage
Boat Captain Prevailing Wage
Boat Captain positions fall under SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Captain Prevailing Wage
Captain Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Captain for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Ferry Boat Captain Prevailing Wage
Ferry Boat Captain Prevailing Wage
Ferry Boat Captain is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
First Mate Prevailing Wage
First Mate Prevailing Wage
First Mate positions fall under SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Harbor Pilot Prevailing Wage
Harbor Pilot Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Harbor Pilot for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Mate Prevailing Wage
Mate Prevailing Wage
Mate is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
River Pilot Prevailing Wage
River Pilot Prevailing Wage
River Pilot positions fall under SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Ship Pilot Prevailing Wage
Ship Pilot Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Ship Pilot for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Tugboat Captain Prevailing Wage
Tugboat Captain Prevailing Wage
Tugboat Captain is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Vessel Master Prevailing Wage
Vessel Master Prevailing Wage
Vessel Master positions fall under SOC 53-5021.00 (Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for each metropolitan or nonmetropolitan area. For SOC 53-5021, those surveys capture wages actually paid to working mariners in each region. OFLC translates the survey percentiles into four wage levels, and the certified level on a Labor Condition Application becomes the minimum the employer must pay.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision. Level 2 is qualified with routine independent judgment. Level 3 is experienced with complex assignments or supervisory duties. Level 4 is fully competent with senior command or leadership scope. Your level is determined by the actual duties and complexity in the specific position, not your license grade alone. USCIS and DOL both scrutinize whether the level on the LCA matches the job description submitted with the petition.
Why does the prevailing wage for this role vary so much between cities?
OFLC assigns wages based on regional OES surveys, which reflect what employers in each labor market actually pay. Dense maritime commerce hubs like Baton Rouge and Houston have high concentrations of offshore and inland waterway employers competing for licensed officers, which drives survey wages up. Coastal resort markets with seasonal recreational vessel work survey much lower. The worksite city listed on the LCA controls which regional wage applies, so a position that moves between ports may require multiple wage determinations.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a Labor Condition Application if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite. If DOL or USCIS identifies a shortfall during review, the petition can be denied or returned for correction. For green card sponsors using PERM, a below-floor offer invalidates the application. The employer must either raise the offered salary to meet the floor or refile at the correct wage level before sponsorship can proceed.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 53-5021 by metropolitan area or state. Select the area matching the vessel's home port or the worksite listed on the offer letter, then choose the experience level that fits the position's actual duties. For positions operating across multiple ports, the primary worksite controls. Migrate Mate can help you identify which employers have actively sponsored this occupation so you can focus your search on companies already navigating this process.
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