Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Median $92,460
Occupation · SOC 53-5022
Motorboat Operators: pay and where the jobs are
What motorboat operators earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$47,520 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $56,270
- Median hourly wage
- $22.85
- Mean hourly wage
- $27.05
- Employment
- 2,480
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-5022.
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See where your pay falls among motorboat operators nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do motorboat operators make?
The median annual wage for motorboat operators was $47,520 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,510 and the highest-paid 10% more than $84,530. As an hourly rate, the median is $22.85. About 2,480 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Hawaii ($76,250), Illinois ($68,380) and Washington ($63,650). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Illinois.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for motorboat operators looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,510 | $16.59 | $2,876 | $2,492 |
| 25th percentile | $42,760 | $20.56 | $3,563 | $3,045 |
| Median | $47,520 | $22.85 | $3,960 | $3,364 |
| 75th percentile | $69,010 | $33.18 | $5,751 | $4,782 |
| 90th percentile | $84,530 | $40.64 | $7,044 | $5,691 |
Motorboat Operators: pay by state
14 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$53,718 take-home in national prices
2
$52,841 take-home in national prices
3
$49,003 take-home in national prices
Where a median motorboat operator paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 330 | $76,250 | $60,000 | $84,410 | $58,099 | $52,841 |
| Illinois | 40 | $68,380 | $45,640 | $94,140 | $53,695 | $53,718 |
| Washington | 80 | $63,650 | $42,760 | $86,740 | $52,440 | $49,003 |
| New York | Not published | $62,000 | $50,840 | $80,660 | $48,947 | $45,354 |
| Texas | 270 | $50,270 | $42,910 | $71,760 | $42,572 | $43,863 |
| Michigan | Not published | $46,760 | $36,190 | $63,400 | $38,015 | $39,510 |
| Florida | 170 | $46,620 | $33,370 | $77,330 | $39,639 | $38,331 |
| Connecticut | Not published | $45,970 | $35,020 | $49,620 | $37,068 | $35,777 |
| Louisiana | 160 | $45,800 | $30,890 | $80,590 | $37,993 | $43,072 |
| Massachusetts | Not published | $45,160 | $40,070 | $86,310 | $36,220 | $34,249 |
| New Jersey | 40 | $44,150 | $37,130 | $104,110 | $36,390 | $33,445 |
| Tennessee | 60 | $42,360 | $29,590 | $58,520 | $36,216 | $39,421 |
| California | 190 | $34,570 | $34,320 | $92,490 | $29,142 | $26,321 |
| Puerto Rico | 150 | $26,630 | $21,840 | $55,620 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-5022. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.