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Ship Engineers

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

High 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 $109,530 Median per year · $52.66/hr Most earn $57,870–$165,490

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Install engine controls, propeller shafts, or propellers.
  • Clean engine parts and keep engine rooms clean.
  • Order and receive engine room stores, such as oil or spare parts, maintain inventories, and record usage of supplies.
  • Act as a liaison between a ship's captain and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets are maintained and that the ship is operated safely and efficiently.
  • Operate or maintain off-loading liquid pumps or valves.
  • Perform or participate in emergency drills, as required.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 900 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

  • Deep sea, coastal, and great lakes water transportation26.3%
  • Support activities for water transportation20.6%
  • Inland water transportation16.3%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service14.3%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals4.9%

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

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

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

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Ship Engineer is reachable straight out of high school, usually after about 1 to 2 years of related work on a ship's crew or in a similar mechanical job. Many people start on deck or in the engine room and learn the ship over time.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build a foundation in math, physics, and shop or mechanical classes, which you will use every day on a ship's engine and systems.

  2. Sailor or Marine Oiler

    6 months to 1 year

    Work on a ship's crew doing maintenance, cleaning, and basic engine-room tasks, learning how the vessel runs and earning the sea time that licensing usually requires.

  3. Ship Engineer

    1 to 2 years in the role after getting started

    Supervise crew who run and maintain the engines, boilers, pumps, and electrical and refrigeration systems aboard ship.

Where it can lead

  1. Chief Engineer

    Several years as a Ship Engineer of experience first

    Lead the entire engineering department, plan maintenance, manage the crew, and answer for the ship's machinery; this takes more experience and higher-level licensing.

  2. Marine Engineer

    2 to 4 years of related experience of experience first

    Design, test, or oversee ship machinery from a shore or office setting; this usually requires a bachelor's degree in addition to hands-on experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take physics and mathThese classes build the problem-solving skills you use to understand pressure, heat, and power in engines and systems.
  • Join a shop, auto, or engineering classHands-on practice with tools and machines shows you whether you enjoy fixing and running equipment.
  • Get a summer or part-time job at a marina, boatyard, or mechanic shopWorking around boats or machinery gives you real exposure and something to talk about on future applications.
  • Earn basic first aid and CPR certificationMany maritime jobs value safety certifications, and these are quick and inexpensive to get.
  • Volunteer or join a sea or maritime clubGroups like sea scouts or local boating clubs teach seamanship, teamwork, and time on the water.

In college

  • Take engineering or mechanical coursesThermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and electrical circuits directly support work on ship engines and systems.
  • Look for internships or co-ops at shipyards, ports, or shipping companiesHands-on work on or around vessels builds the sea time and experience that employers and licensing require.
  • Get a campus job in a maintenance or facilities crewKeeping buildings' mechanical and electrical systems running builds troubleshooting and repair skills.
  • Pursue maritime or safety certificationsCourses like basic safety training or small-vessel credentials show employers you are serious about the work.
  • Join a maritime or engineering student organizationClubs connected to engineering or the sea give you networking contacts and teamwork experience.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local marina, ferry operator, or port company whether they take entry-level crew or summer workers, and whether they offer on-the-job training.
  • Check the licensing requirements with the U.S. Coast Guard early, since ship engineers often need specific credentials and documented sea time; the requirements vary by vessel type.
  • Get comfortable with safety training and teamwork, because life at sea depends on both.

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

  • Marine Transportation Certificate: typical pay 1 year after finishing $46,468 a year · typical debt $5,990

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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