What is a marine engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Alexander Parker PhD

A marine engineer is an individual who designs, develops, and maintains ships and their systems. They are responsible for ensuring that the ship's engines, propulsion systems, electrical systems, and other mechanical equipment are in good working order. Marine engineers also work on developing new technologies to improve the efficiency and safety of seafaring vessels. They collaborate with other professionals such as naval architects, electricians, and mechanics to oversee the construction and repair of ships.

What general advice would you give to a marine engineer?

Alexander Parker PhD

Dean, School of Letters and Sciences, San Francisco State University

Marine scientists may work for a variety of employers including work with state and federal natural resource agencies, municipalities and ports, education, including higher education, the military and others. Some marine scientists work in the field, on small boats and ships, in wetlands and other coastal ecosystems or underwater using SCUBA or remotely operated vehicles. Other marine scientists primarily work in the laboratory or using computers to analyze remotely sensed data or to develop and run numerical simulations (modeling). Some marine scientists work to communicate science to different stakeholders from students to elected officials.

ScoreMarine EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $101,152

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.11%

Asian 7.11%

Black or African American 8.39%

Hispanic or Latino 7.51%

Unknown 3.60%

White 72.28%

Gender

female 8.45%

male 91.55%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a marine engineer?

Pros

Exciting and challenging work opportunities
Good pay and benefits
Travel to interesting locations
Job security due to the demand for marine engineers
Opportunities for continuous learning and professional development

Cons

Long working hours and extended periods away from home and family
Physical demands of the job, including exposure to harsh weather conditions and heavy lifting
High levels of stress, especially during emergency situations
Limited social life due to the nature of the job
High level of responsibility which can be overwhelming at times

Key steps to become a marine engineer

Explore marine engineer education requirements

Most common marine engineer degrees

Bachelor's

65.0 %

Associate

11.5 %

Master's

11.3 %

Start to develop specific marine engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Marine Engineering	26.40%
Autocad	7.68%
HVAC	4.15%
Diesel Engines	3.95%
Shipyard	3.90%

Complete relevant marine engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New marine engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a marine engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real marine engineer resumes.

Research marine engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage the rig's maintenance and inventory control system through programs RMS & ICS.
Utilize and maintain GPS, dive beacons, and sonar equipment in order to achieve safe and cost-effective positioning.
Design and manage installation of engine room and machinery layout, install new sanitation water treatment systems and rework water systems.
Manage general facilities including commissioning, building management systems, and calibrations for GMP area for tablets production operation.

Prepare your marine engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your marine engineer resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable marine engineer resume templates

Build a professional marine engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your marine engineer resume.