Motorboat Operators
Also called: Boat Operator, Launch Operator, River Pilot, Water Taxi Business OperatorOperate small motor-driven boats. May assist in navigational activities.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 16 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 4.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.3% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Ship and boat captains and operators”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 11.1 hires for every 10 job openings in arts, entertainment, and recreation, which employs about 38% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.11.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $34,570 | $34,510 to $78,330 | 190 |
| Connecticut | $45,970 | $37,000 to $48,920 | not published |
| Florida | $46,620 | $38,580 to $57,050 | 170 |
| Hawaii | $76,250 | $63,190 to $81,450 | 330 |
| Illinois | $68,380 | $68,380 to $75,190 | 40 |
| Louisiana | $45,800 | $35,340 to $50,340 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $45,160 | $43,330 to $45,760 | not published |
| Michigan | $46,760 | $45,330 to $55,510 | not published |
| New Jersey | $44,150 | $37,140 to $77,360 | 40 |
| New York | $62,000 | $53,320 to $73,060 | not published |
| Puerto Rico | $26,630 | $25,660 to $44,640 | 150 |
| Tennessee | $42,360 | $36,570 to $47,130 | 60 |
| Texas | $50,270 | $44,230 to $64,420 | 270 |
| Washington | $63,650 | $42,760 to $83,930 | 80 |
Nationally: $47,520. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 4 of its 16 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Follow safety procedures to ensure the protection of passengers, cargo, and vessels. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate engine throttles and steering mechanisms to guide boats on desired courses. | Not published |
| Not much | Secure boats to docks with mooring lines, and cast off lines to enable departure. | Not published |
| AI + software | Organize and direct the activities of crew members. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain desired courses, using compasses or electronic navigational aids. | Not published |
| AI + software | Report any observed navigational hazards to authorities. | Not published |
See all 16 tasks
| AI + software | Oversee operation of vessels used for carrying passengers, motor vehicles, or goods across rivers, harbors, lakes, and coastal waters. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct safety operations in emergency situations. | Not published |
| Not much | Arrange repairs, fuel, and supplies for vessels. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain equipment such as range markers, fire extinguishers, boat fenders, lines, pumps, and fittings. | Not published |
| AI + software | Issue directions for loading, unloading, and seating in boats. | Not published |
| Not much | Service motors by performing tasks such as changing oil and lubricating parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean boats and repair hulls and superstructures, using hand tools, paint, and brushes. | Not published |
| Not much | Tow, push, or guide other boats, barges, logs, or rafts. | Not published |
| Not much | Take depth soundings in turning basins. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform general labor duties such as repairing booms. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 16 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 16 tasks fall under 10 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Schedule operational activities | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems |
Show all 10 activities
| Direct security or safety activities or operations | |||
| Tend watercraft |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for motorboat operators specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved in from
of 314 moves in
- 1 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers High +5.4% 11%
- 2 Locomotive Engineers Moderate +0.5% 9%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 4 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 7%
- 5 Marketing Managers Very high +6.9% 6%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 35% less than high school
- 40% high school
- 2% postsecondary certificate
- 9% some college
- 14% bachelor's
- 1% post-doctoral training
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 15 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 10% less than high school
- 32% high school
- 22% some college
- 8% associate's
- 24% bachelor's
- 4% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Ship and boat captains and operators” · 490 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Ship and boat captains and operators”
2 programs: Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer and Marine Transportation, Other.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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