Bottom quarter
$158K
Vessel Captain (Deep-Sea Merchant) Salary in Washington DC
What you should make. What you should ask for. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.
Median
$199K
Top quarter
$248K
Top 10%
$293K
Adjusted for Washington DC at 1.17× the national baseline. See the math →
What this number means.
Vessel Captain (Deep-Sea Merchant) in Washington DC pulls a median of $198,900 at mid-career, with a top-quartile band reaching $248,040 and the top 10% at $292,500. Washington DC's cost-of-living tilt is 1.17× — the band reflects that. The gap between the middle of the market and the top quarter is real money — at this role, $49,140 a year. Ask for it.
How to negotiate this
- Anchor$248,040 — the top-quartile number. This is the number you say first.
- Target$223,470 — where a fair counter lands. Above the median, below the anchor.
- Floor$198,900 — 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.