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Comment by Joker_vD | Hacker News Reader

Where do you get those salary numbers from? The info about this "Dali" ship is not private: [0], and it lists the master's salary as $10,200 per month.

[0] https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel/imo/9697428/seafarers

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The pilot is employed by the port/government, not the ship. They drive to just outside the entrance, then they get off onto a tugboat or some other small utility vessel.

Harbor pilots are licensed by the state (Maryland) require a degree from one of the maritime colleges, deck license, …, are represented by a pilots union (Association of Maryland Pilots) but are employed independently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_pilot#Compensation

> The Florida Alliance of Maritime Organizations reported that Florida pilots' annual salaries range from US$100,000 to US$400,000, on par with other US states that have large ports. Columbia Bar pilots earn approximately US$180,000 per year. A 2008 review of pilot salaries in the United States showed that pay ranged from about US$250,000 to over US$500,000 per year.

Columbia Bar pilots are grossly underpaid.

Having visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum (I would strongly recommend if there) https://www.crmm.org - that is 100% correct. Its a place that they send other pilots to do things like rough water training.