Boat Building — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the boat building industry earns $58,795 per year ($28.27/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Boat Building Workers Earn?
At $58,795/year (equivalent to $28.27/hour for a full-time worker), boat building wages are near the national average of ~$65,000.
The typical boat building business employs 44 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average boat building business generating $12.1M/year with 44 employees at $58,795 each, total payroll represents roughly 21.5% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a boat buildingbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $76,434/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 44 employees = ~$2,586,980/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $28.27/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $12.1M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Boat Building revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do boat building employees make?
- The average boat building employee earns $58,795 per year, which is equivalent to $28.27/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the boat building industry?
- The boat building industry employs 49,448 workers across 1,126 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 44 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).