Ship Engineers

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$109,530

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$82,130 – $135,760

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

8,400

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+2.7%

Growing slower than all jobs (0% to under 3.5%)

Openings a year (projected)

900

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.

Main tasks

• Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff.
• Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed.
• Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified.
• Start engines to propel ships, and regulate engines and power transmissions to control speeds of ships, according to directions from captains or bridge computers.
• Perform or participate in emergency drills, as required.
• Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks.
• Maintain or repair engines, electric motors, pumps, winches, or other mechanical or electrical equipment, or assist other crew members with maintenance or repair duties.
• Maintain complete records of engineering department activities, including machine operations.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

Postsecondary nondegree award

Work experience in a related job: less than 5 years

O*NET Job Zone 3

Medium preparation

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

  $112,230 median · +6.7% projected

• Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

  $49,590 median · +4.2% projected

• Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians

  $57,550 median · +4.9% projected

• Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists

  $61,770 median · +3.6% projected

• Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

  $79,870 median · +5.4% projected

• Locomotive Engineers

  $81,410 median · +0.5% projected