Becoming a tugboat captain requires an extensive knowledge of tugboats and experience. They guide larger ships safely across bridges and various obstacles. Tugboats are invaluable to the shipping industry. To begin this career, you need to gain sea-time experience on a ship or boat. A great way to gain experience is to hire on as a tugboat captain's assistant and receive on the job training. It
. is a great way to learn invaluable techniques from the experienced captains. Without proper and adequate training, it would be difficult to become a qualified tugboat captain. It is necessary to take the required steps to ascertain this knowledge. Signing up for training classes allows the student to be exposed to the tugboat industry. Many schools will offer a license upon successful completion. Also, it is vital that a tugboat captain knows their vessel entirely.There are different types of tugboat captains and their salary is dependent on several factors. The location of where a captain decides to tugboat directly impacts his salary. An entry-level tugboat captain working in inland waters will earn about $49,858 a year and will increase with years on the job and location of employment. With years of experience their salary can increase to $67,630 or $32.51 per hour. If he decides to tugboat in deeper seas as opposed to inland waters, then his salary would be higher. A typical deep-sea tugboat captain earns 72,560 and can increase to $82,800. Louisiana and Tennessee offer the highest employment rates for tugboat captains and as a result, their salaries are typically higher in these regions. They earned on average $37.03 per hour or $77,020 a year. For very experienced and qualified tugboat captains they can earn significantly higher salaries. Top paid tugboat captains can earn $50.80 per hour or $105,660 yearly. With enough experience the median salary for tugboat captains is around $70,500.Tugboat captains are always needed and with the right training their earning potential can increase within a few years.More reference links: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes535021.htm http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos247.htm
