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How to hire a marine engineer

Marine engineer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring marine engineers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a marine engineer is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new marine engineer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a marine engineer, step by step

To hire a marine engineer, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a marine engineer:

Here's a step-by-step marine engineer hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a marine engineer job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new marine engineer
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a marine engineer do?

Marine engineers are licensed engineers who specialize in designing marine infrastructure. These marine infrastructure or vessels are usually naval ships, sailboats, cruise ships, tankers, or even submarines. Marine engineers draft plans for these vessels. They take into consideration the various sciences involved in building these ships. Marine engineers need to have a good grasp of physics, statistics, and other sciences that they need to craft a vessel. Marine engineers also create designs for controls and other mechanisms. They oversee the building process and ensure that the vessels are working properly.

Learn more about the specifics of what a marine engineer does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a marine engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A marine engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, marine engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list shows salaries for various types of marine engineers.

    Type of Marine EngineerDescriptionHourly rate
    Marine EngineerMarine engineers and naval architects design, build, and maintain ships from aircraft carriers to submarines, from sailboats to tankers. Marine engineers are primarily responsible for the internal systems of a ship, such as propulsion, electrical, refrigeration, and steering... Show more$33-70
    Product Development EngineerA Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.$30-54
    Research And Development EngineerResearch and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies... Show more$35-64
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Marine Engineering
    • Autocad
    • HVAC
    • Diesel Engines
    • Shipyard
    • Perform Routine Maintenance
    • Safety Equipment
    • Boats
    • Technical Reports
    • USCG
    • PMS
    • Fuel Systems
    • Technical Support
    • Electrical Systems
    Check all skills
    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.
    • Serve as a field engineer to trouble shoot piping, HVAC, and electrical systems on repowered vessels.
    • Perform inspection of ISO containers for classification society.
    More marine engineer duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your marine engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A marine engineer salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, marine engineers' average salary in hawaii is 39% less than in texas.
    • Seniority. Entry-level marine engineers earn 53% less than senior-level marine engineers.
    • Certifications. A marine engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a marine engineer's salary.

    Average marine engineer salary

    $101,152yearly

    $48.63 hourly rate

    Entry-level marine engineer salary
    $69,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 13, 2025

    Average marine engineer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$118,056$57
    2Texas$116,464$56
    3Georgia$106,318$51
    4Michigan$102,401$49
    5Arizona$101,926$49
    6Washington$95,705$46
    7Alabama$93,988$45
    8Louisiana$93,868$45
    9New Jersey$93,288$45
    10Virginia$92,494$44
    11New York$92,205$44
    12Wisconsin$91,763$44
    13North Carolina$91,029$44
    14District of Columbia$84,203$40
    15Oregon$83,084$40
    16Massachusetts$80,583$39
    17Florida$75,392$36
    18Hawaii$71,916$35

    Average marine engineer salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Chevron$128,050$61.56
    2Exxon Mobil$127,347$61.222
    3Booz Allen Hamilton$113,854$54.743
    42H Offshore$113,780$54.70
    5NOV$113,656$54.64
    6TBS Shipping Services$108,856$52.33
    7MODEC International, Inc.$108,660$52.24
    8Serco$108,660$52.24
    9Applied Insight$108,647$52.23
    10Enertech Resources$108,575$52.20
    11*n/a*$108,528$52.183
    12Delmar Systems, Inc.$108,402$52.12
    13Marine Spill Response$107,967$51.91
    14Atkins Houston Offshore Engineering$107,930$51.89
    15SubCom$107,817$51.84
    16GL Noble Denton$107,692$51.77
    17Hatch$107,623$51.74
    18KBR$107,247$51.562
    19Oceaneering$106,299$51.11
    20Lloyd's Register$106,286$51.10
  4. Writing a marine engineer job description

    A marine engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a marine engineer job description:

    Marine engineer job description example

    Time Type: Full time
    Minimum Clearance Required to Start: Secret

    Employee Type: Regular

    Percentage of Travel Required: Up to 10%

    Type of Travel: Local

    CACI is seeking a Naval Marine Engineer to support our government customer. In this role you will help design and develop new ships and ship system concepts.

    What You'll Get to Do:

    + Design, develop and analyze new ships and ship system concepts

    + Develop complex designs for current and conceptualized ships, systems and equipment

    + Use design software to prepare plans, drawings and analytical models

    + Evaluate designs for feasibility

    + Analyze critical elements or performance of the design using analytic tools, model scale and full scale testing, or prototyping as appropriate

    + Prepare reports of results and conclusions

    + Recommend and implement changes to designs based on conclusions

    + Identify and apply regulatory and customer standards, commercial and military standards, as well as classification society rules, to ship designs and modifications

    + Interface with suppliers, vendors/contractors and cross functional teams to ensure necessary resources are available for ships and systems

    + Research new technology and development tools to remain informed of current technology with respect to ship design and systems

    You'll Bring These Qualifications:

    + Bachelor's Degree in Naval Architecture or Ocean Engineering

    + Five years or more of experience in ship design, marine or ocean engineering

    + Good interpersonal skills to work with project teams and stakeholders

    + A Secret clearance is the minimum requirement to begin employment

    + As a requirement of continued employment you will be required to obtain a Secret Clearance

    .

    What We Can Offer You:

    - We've been named a Best Place to Work by the Washington Post.

    - Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives.

    - We offer competitive benefits and learning and development opportunities.

    - We are mission-oriented and ever vigilant in aligning our solutions with the nation's highest priorities.

    - For over 55 years, the principles of CACI's unique, character-based culture have been the driving force behind our success.

    Company Overview: At CACI, you will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact by providing information solutions and services in support of national security missions and government transformation for Intelligence, Defense, and Federal Civilian customers. CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.

    As a federal contractor, CACI is subject to any federal vaccine mandates or other customer vaccination requirements. All new hires are required to report their vaccination status.
  5. Post your job

    To find marine engineers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any marine engineers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level marine engineers with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your marine engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit marine engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting marine engineers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new marine engineer

    Once you've decided on a perfect marine engineer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new marine engineer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a marine engineer?

There are different types of costs for hiring marine engineers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new marine engineer employee.

You can expect to pay around $101,152 per year for a marine engineer, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for marine engineers in the US typically range between $33 and $70 an hour.

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