Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Bridge and Lock Tenders and Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Bridge and Lock Tenders | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $58,490 | $85,540 |
| Employment | 2,720 | 35,390 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | Declining (-3.3%) | About average (+0.5%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 300 | 4,300 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 0th pct | Moderate · 42nd pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 25th pct · 18% of tasks | 55th pct · 29% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Public Safety and Security, English Language, Monitoring, Information Ordering, Near Vision, Selective Attention, Control Precision, Far Vision, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Judgment and Decision Making, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Perceptual Speed, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Category Flexibility, Transportation.
Specific to Bridge and Lock Tenders
- Auditory Attention
- Reaction Time
- Hearing Sensitivity
- Telecommunications
- Education and Training
- Writing
- Service Orientation
- Time Management
Specific to Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
- Spatial Orientation
- Mechanical
- Written Expression
- Flexibility of Closure
- Manual Dexterity
- Depth Perception
- Law and Government
- Geography
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software .
Specific to Bridge and Lock Tenders
Specific to Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Bridge and Lock Tenders or Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
- Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Motorboat Operators
- Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Hoist and Winch Operators
- Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
- Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Locomotive Engineers
- Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Crane and Tower Operators
- Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Sailors and Marine Oilers
- Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/bridge-and-lock-tenders-vs-captains-mates-and-pilots-of-water-vessels
Singulariki. (2026). Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/bridge-and-lock-tenders-vs-captains-mates-and-pilots-of-water-vessels
@misc{singulariki-bridge-and-lock-tenders-vs-captains-mates-and-pilots-of-water-vessels,
title = {Bridge and Lock Tenders vs Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/bridge-and-lock-tenders-vs-captains-mates-and-pilots-of-water-vessels}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.