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Transport & Logistics · Updated Aug 2026

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
57/100
Moderate

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
39/100
Low

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence83/100
Task coverage87%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.High
68
Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.High
68
Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.High
66
Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.High
66
Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.High
68
Stand watches on vessels during specified periods while vessels are under way.High
68
Tow and maneuver barges or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.High
68
Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.High
68
Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.High
68
Signal crew members or deckhands to rig tow lines, open or close gates or ramps, or pull guard chains across entries.High
68
Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.High
68
Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.High
69
Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.High
67
Maintain boats or equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, or life preservers.High
67
Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.High
42
Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.High
49
Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.High
34
Observe loading or unloading of cargo or equipment to ensure that handling and storage are performed according to specifications.High
35
Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.High
20
Supervise crews in cleaning or maintaining decks, superstructures, or bridges.Medium
22
Perform various marine duties, such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports or harbors or patrolling beaches.High
14
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.69
  2. Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.68
  3. Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.68
  4. Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.68
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Perform various marine duties, such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports or harbors or patrolling beaches.01
  2. Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.02
  3. Supervise crews in cleaning or maintaining decks, superstructures, or bridges.03
  4. Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.04
  5. Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency77
Physical dependency71
Adoption pressure41
Labour-market resilience75
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence83/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →