JOB REPORT / 53-5021 · 30 TASKS

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels.

Can AI do the work of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels?

Mostly it works alongside you. Here is what shifts, task by task.

YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS

How does this fit your work?

How many tasks do you use AI to assist with at work?

Drag the dot. There’s no wrong answer; it starts at our estimate.

Starting pointOur estimate

The mark shows what’s typical for this job.

The parts of your job AI can already do most of:

Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions…
Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment…
Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices…

Your free lesson plan builds the skills that keep you ahead of AI.

A free set of short lessons, about 20 minutes each, at your own pace. No payment, no experience needed.

TURN THIS INTO SKILLS YOU CAN PROVE Early access

Earn a certificate in your job

A guided certificate program in AI-assisted Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels work. It covers the 15 AI-affected parts of your job and ends in a capstone a person reviews.

WHAT WE LOOKED AT

Your job, task by task.

15 of 30 tasks reviewed

This job has 30 core tasks. We went through 15 of them, one at a time.

Task by task, from the work Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels actually do. How we describe AI use in each task is our own read of it, not a measurement of whether AI can replace the job.

TASK 01
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.
AI DOES
Drafts log entries, organizes position data, formats reports, and flags missing fields
YOU DO
Verify every detail against real conditions and sign off as the legally responsible officer
TASK 02
Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
AI DOES
Pulls weather data, suggests optimal routes, and flags hazards on digital charts
YOU DO
Apply judgment in real-time conditions and hold legal command authority
TASK 03
Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.
AI DOES
Processes sonar data, overlays contour lines on digital charts, and flags depth changes automatically
YOU DO
Trust your eyes, experience, and judgment when conditions on the water don't match what the screen shows
TASK 04
Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.
AI DOES
Searches and summarizes port regulations, customs rules, and procedural checklists
YOU DO
Apply local experience and real-time port conditions to guide the master safely
TASK 05
Arrange for ships to be fueled, restocked with supplies, or repaired.
AI DOES
Searches suppliers, drafts purchase orders, and tracks inventory or repair schedules
YOU DO
Confirm real-world conditions at the vessel and make final calls on safety and timing
TASK 06
Assign watches or living quarters to crew members.
AI DOES
Drafts watch schedules and cabin assignments based on crew size, certifications, and rest rules
YOU DO
Apply personal knowledge of crew dynamics, fatigue, and real conditions onboard
TASK 07
Purchase supplies or equipment.
AI DOES
Searches suppliers, compares prices, and drafts purchase lists
YOU DO
Judge what the vessel actually needs based on the trip, crew, and conditions
TASK 08
Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.
AI DOES
Drafts violation reports and pulls up relevant pilotage laws fast
YOU DO
Sign off on what you personally witnessed and take legal ownership of the report
TASK 09
Learn to operate new technology systems and procedures through instruction, simulators, or models.
AI DOES
Explains new systems, answers questions, and creates practice quizzes or study guides
YOU DO
Get in the simulator and practice with your hands and real-time decisions
TASK 10
Interview and hire crew members.
AI DOES
Screens applications, flags credentials, and suggests interview questions
YOU DO
Meet candidates face-to-face and trust your gut about who works well at sea
TASK 11
Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.
AI DOES
Displays radar data, chart overlays, depth readings, and weather alerts to support decisions
YOU DO
Keep your hands on the helm and make split-second calls in changing water conditions
TASK 12
Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.
AI DOES
Drafts standard radio messages, transcribes communications, and flags key information from transmissions
YOU DO
Stay on the radio yourself — licensed presence, situational awareness, and real-time decisions cannot be handed off
TASK 13
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.
AI DOES
Logs crew assignments, tracks cargo data, and surfaces checklists or alerts
YOU DO
Stay on the vessel, read the situation, and make real-time calls with your crew
TASK 14
Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.
AI DOES
Logs and analyzes depth readings from sonar sensors automatically
YOU DO
Operate equipment and make safety calls on the water in real time
TASK 15
Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.
AI DOES
Monitors radio channels and logs signal activity
YOU DO
Stay present on deck and make real-time safety calls

START LEARNING AI

Practice AI.
Use your judgment.

There are 15 short lessons for this job, about 15 minutes each. Each one starts from a task above and teaches the part that stays with you.

Try a free lesson

AT A GLANCE

Occupation: Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
SOC code: 53-5021
Tasks reviewed: 15 of 30

How we assess

PAY & OUTLOOK

Compare pay by state

Median pay (national): $92,460 · BLS OEWS 2025
Median pay (Colorado): Not reported for Colorado
Employed (national): 36,850
Employed in Colorado: Not reported for Colorado
Job outlook: +0.5% by 2034 · ~4,300 openings/yr

Wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. National figures cover the United States. Job outlook is national.

How does this fit your work?

Earn a certificate in your job

Your job, task by task.

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.

Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.

Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.

Arrange for ships to be fueled, restocked with supplies, or repaired.

Assign watches or living quarters to crew members.

Purchase supplies or equipment.

Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.

Learn to operate new technology systems and procedures through instruction, simulators, or models.

Interview and hire crew members.

Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.

Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.

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.

Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.

Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.

Practice AI.Use your judgment.

Practice AI.
Use your judgment.