Bottom quarter
$153K
Vessel Captain (Deep-Sea Merchant) Salary in San Diego
What you should make. What you should ask for. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.
Median
$192K
Top quarter
$240K
Top 10%
$283K
Adjusted for San Diego at 1.13× the national baseline. See the math →
What this number means.
Vessel Captain (Deep-Sea Merchant) in San Diego pulls a median of $192,100 at mid-career, with a top-quartile band reaching $239,560 and the top 10% at $282,500. San Diego sits at 1.13× the national average for pay. If you're up for review, the right ask sits at the top quarter of the band: $239,560.
How to negotiate this
- Anchor$239,560 — the top-quartile number. This is the number you say first.
- Target$215,830 — where a fair counter lands. Above the median, below the anchor.
- Floor$192,100 — below this, you're underpaid. Walking away gets cheaper than staying.
Carry the math. Not the maybe.
AMMO is the corner man for the conversation that decides your year. Real pay data, an offer grader, and counter language drafted from your numbers. Get on the list before iOS launch.
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Vessel Captain (Deep-Sea Merchant) elsewhere
Adjacent metros
Read how these numbers are computed →
Numbers are estimates. Your offer depends on the company, the level, the stock piece, and the conversation you're about to have. AMMO is a tool. You are the negotiator.