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The differences between marine engineers and mechanical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a marine engineer, becoming a mechanical engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a marine engineer has an average salary of $101,152, which is higher than the $75,352 average annual salary of a mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for a marine engineer include marine engineering, autocad and HVAC. The most important skills for a mechanical engineer are CAD, solidworks, and mechanical systems.
| Marine Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $101,152 | $75,352 |
| Hourly rate | $48.63 | $36.23 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 11,675 | 105,618 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
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.
Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues. They are often in designated offices, but they can also work on-site and travel if necessary. Furthermore, Mechanical Engineers usually function in a group or team setting, often supervised by personnel in higher positions.
Marine engineers and mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Marine Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $101,152 | $75,352 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $147,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Washington |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a marine engineer and a mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Marine Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Marine Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between marine engineers' and mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Marine Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 7.1% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 5% |