The Salary Index
Salary data is based on the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan area and applied to Arlington using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Captains Salaries in Arlington, TX

Average Base Pay

$69,630/yr

14% below national average

Monthly

$5,803

Hourly

$33

Cost Index

88

Captains in Arlington, TX earn an average of $69,630 per year, with most salaries falling between $55,704 and $83,556 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 14% below the national average, Arlington offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 88. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Arlington.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$52K
Low
$70K
Median
$87K
High
25th percentile: $59K75th percentile: $80K

About Captains

Operations Managers oversee the day-to-day functions of a business unit or organization, ensuring that processes run efficiently, resources are well-managed, and teams perform effectively. They sit at the intersection of strategy and execution—translating organizational goals into operational plans, establishing processes that achieve those plans, and continuously improving how work gets done. The scope of the role varies by industry: in manufacturing, operations managers oversee production lines, quality control, and supply chain logistics; in retail, they manage store staffing, inventory, and customer experience; in technology companies, they coordinate internal processes, vendor management, and company-wide operational initiatives. Regardless of industry, operations managers are responsible for operational metrics—throughput, quality, cost, and timeliness—and for building systems that deliver consistent results. They manage cross-functional relationships, resolve operational conflicts, and escalate issues to senior leadership when necessary. People management is central: operations managers hire, coach, and develop team leaders and front-line staff. Strong analytical skills are required to diagnose inefficiencies and design improvements, often using process mapping, root cause analysis, or lean methodologies.

What Captains Do

  • Plan and coordinate operational activities to meet business objectives
  • Monitor operational KPIs and implement improvements when targets are missed
  • Manage staffing levels, schedules, and workforce productivity
  • Develop and refine standard operating procedures and workflows
  • Manage vendor and supplier relationships and service level agreements
  • Lead cross-functional teams to resolve operational issues
  • Prepare operational reports and present performance updates to senior leadership
  • Drive process improvement initiatives using lean or Six Sigma methodologies

Key Skills & Qualifications

  • Process analysis and improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen)
  • Operational metrics definition, tracking, and reporting
  • Budget management and cost control
  • People management and team development
  • Project management skills for cross-functional initiatives
  • ERP systems and operations management software
  • Problem-solving and root cause analysis
  • Strong communication and stakeholder management

Career Path

  1. Operations Coordinator / Team Lead
  2. Operations Manager
  3. Senior Operations Manager
  4. Director of Operations
  5. VP of Operations / COO

Captains Market in Arlington, TX

Salary Competitiveness

Arlington currently pays 14% below the national median for Captains. This gap can reflect a lower regional cost base, thinner employer density, or a surplus of qualified candidates relative to open roles—factors worth factoring into any offer negotiation or relocation calculation.

Cost of Living Impact

Arlington's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 56% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.

Effective Purchasing Power

The purchasing power of $69,630 for a Captains in Arlington is moderate: enough to meet essential expenses and build incremental savings, but requiring deliberate budgeting to avoid margin erosion—especially as rent and healthcare costs have outpaced wage growth across many mid-tier markets.

vs. National Avg

-14%

Cost Pressure

56%

Purchasing Power

Moderate

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

$
Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$50,830

Monthly

$4,236

Weekly

$978

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $69,630 for a Captains in Arlington translates to roughly $4,236 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,367—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $1,869 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Arlington's current market.

How far does this salary go in Arlington?

Cost of Living in Arlington

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Arlington, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

88

Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,320/mo
🍔Food & Groceries$455/mo
🚗Transportation$125/mo
💡Utilities$175/mo
🏥Healthcare$292/mo
Monthly$2,367
Annual$28,404
Disposable Income$1,869

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Arlington to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$4,236

Living Costs

$2,367

Disposable

$1,869

Cost Index

88

Lifestyle

Moderate

With a monthly take-home of $4,236, your estimated living costs in Arlington are $2,367 ($28,404/yr). This leaves $1,869 per month in disposable income, indicating a moderate standard of living. Arlington's cost of living is 12% below the national average.

Overall, a Captains earning $69,630 in Arlington falls into a moderate lifestyle tier and can cover essentials and hit modest savings goals, though discretionary spending warrants careful planning. With a cost index of 88, Arlington is 12% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Arlington continue to evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Compare Instantly

See how Captains salary in Arlington stacks up against other cities.

Full breakdown: cost of living, net pay, lifestyle score

Share this salary

Captains · Arlington, TX14% below avg

Gross Salary

$69,630/yr

Take-home

$4,236/mo

Disposable

$1,869/mo

Lifestyle

Moderate

Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data

Arlington City Overview

COL index, rent benchmarks, top jobs, and affordability score.

Explore Arlington

Explore More Salary Data

Related pages — all links are live salary pages

Highest-Paying Markets

Cities where Captains pays most

Most Affordable Markets

Cities with lowest cost of living

Salary estimates are based on BLS metro data and adjusted using cost-of-living indices.