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Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $112,230 Median per year · $53.96/hr Most earn $83,010–$173,330

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Conduct analyses of ships, such as stability, structural, weight, and vibration analyses.
  • Evaluate operation of marine equipment during acceptance testing and shakedown cruises.
  • Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment.
  • Confer with research personnel to clarify or resolve problems and to develop or modify designs.
  • Maintain contact with, and formulate reports for, contractors and clients to ensure completion of work at minimum cost.
  • Prepare technical reports for use by engineering, management, or sales personnel.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
7% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Ship and boat building50.6%
  • Engineering services15.0%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service13.1%
  • Support activities for water transportation6.4%
  • Deep sea, coastal, and great lakes water transportation3.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This isn't usually a job you can start straight out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend roughly 2 to 4 years in an entry-level engineering role before taking on marine engineering or naval architecture work. Your results are a starting point for exploring, so use this path as a rough map.

  1. Bachelor's degree in marine engineering, naval architecture, or mechanical engineering

    4 years

    You build the core math and science skills (physics, calculus, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics) that ship design and propulsion work depends on.

  2. Entry-level Mechanical Engineer (Engineer I or Junior Engineer)

    2-4 years

    You work on designs and equipment under senior engineers' guidance, learn how ship systems are built and tested, and gain the hands-on experience employers expect.

  3. Marine Engineer or Naval Architect

    Ongoing career

    You design, develop, and evaluate vessels, machinery, and power and propulsion systems, often working with shipyards, navies, or engineering firms.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Marine Engineer

    Several years in the role before of experience first

    You take on larger projects, lead small teams, and make more of the design and safety decisions on a vessel.

  2. Principal Naval Architect

    Many years of senior design experience of experience first

    You set design direction for complex vessels and often guide other engineers, with more responsibility for approvals and client decisions.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take physics and advanced mathStrong physics and math skills are the foundation for the bachelor's degree this career requires.
  • Take a drafting or CAD classLearning to draw and model parts and systems on a computer gives you a head start on the design work marine engineers do.
  • Join a robotics, science, or engineering clubBuilding and testing things with a team shows you how engineering projects really work and gives you something to talk about in applications.
  • Get a summer or part-time job at a marina, boatyard, or sailing programSeeing how boats are built, maintained, and run gives you real context for ship systems and machinery.
  • Volunteer with a maritime museum or sailing or boating programIt exposes you to vessels and the people who work on them, and it looks good on future applications.

In college

  • Major in marine engineering, naval architecture, or mechanical engineeringThese majors cover ship design, propulsion, and power systems more directly than a general engineering degree.
  • Take fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and staticsThese courses explain how water, heat, and forces act on hulls, engines, and machinery, which is central to this work.
  • Do an internship or co-op at a shipyard or engineering firmPaid hands-on experience is often what separates candidates when employers hire for the entry-level role this path needs.
  • Join an engineering design team or student clubWorking on a team project, such as a boat or underwater vehicle design, builds practical skills and teamwork that employers look for.
  • Learn CAD and simulation softwareMany employers expect you to already know design and analysis tools, so practicing them in class or on your own helps you stand out.

Tips for getting started

  • Take physics, calculus, and any drafting or CAD classes you can, since these skills show up in almost every step of this path.
  • Look for internships or co-op jobs at shipyards, engineering firms, or companies that build boats or offshore equipment; hands-on experience is what moves people into the job.
  • Get comfortable with engineering software early, such as CAD programs, and keep a simple portfolio of projects you designed or built.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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