Also called: Paddlewheel Boat Captain, Riverboat Captain
Steers passenger riverboats and paddlewheelers on the Mississippi, Ohio, and other rivers.
A riverboat pilot guides an overnight paddlewheeler or a dinner cruise boat, reads the river's currents and sandbars, and docks at historic river towns.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 3 years after high school. Coast Guard master or pilot license for inland waters.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Marine Transportation, Maritime Studies.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). BLS 2025-35 projection band for SOC 53-5021: Average (3% to 4%).
Low risk for 10 years. Reading currents and sandbars with passengers aboard keeps riverboat piloting a human job.
Classes: Earth science, Physics, History.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-5021.
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