Marine Transportation programs in California
7 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. The Department of Education publishes earnings for none of them, so the figures below are what the occupation itself pays.
What this work pays in California
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels in California earn a median of $110,090 a year across 2,420 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in California |
|---|---|---|
| Ship Engineers | $97,660 | 610 |
| Commercial Divers | $101,540 | 310 |
| Motorboat Operators | $34,570 | 190 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine Valley College Irvine | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| National University San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Orange Coast College Costa Mesa | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Orange Coast College Costa Mesa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Saddleback College Mission Viejo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 11 |
| Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Marine Transportation — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.