He wanted to be a steam boat pilot .
On a boat trip across the Mississippi to New Orleans, Twain, inspired by the work of pilot Horace E. Bixby, decided to pursue the career of a steam boat pilot . It was a well-paid occupation, with a salary estimated at $ 72,400 per year, but requiring extensive knowledge of the river and its various ports and stops. Twain meticulously studied the 3,200 miles of Mississippi for over two years, until finally getting his pilot's license in 1859.