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The average salary for a marine engineer is approximately $101,152 per year, or about $49 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on factors such as experience, education, and location. Marine engineers with specialized skills tend to earn more, reflecting the demand for their expertise in sectors like shipbuilding and offshore engineering.
Marine engineers in states like California, Florida, and Washington often enjoy higher salaries due to the concentration of maritime industries and coastal activities. Companies in these regions frequently seek skilled marine engineers to design, repair, and maintain vessels, enhancing job opportunities and salary potential.
Industries such as shipbuilding, offshore oil and gas, and naval defense typically offer the highest salaries for marine engineers. As maritime operations expand, so do the opportunities for marine engineers to secure lucrative positions.
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The average marine engineer salary in Texas, New Mexico, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average marine engineer salary states are New Hampshire, Iowa, and Vermont.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $116,800 | $56.15 |
| 2 | Utah | $106,244 | $51.08 |
| 3 | California | $111,139 | $53.43 |
| 4 | Georgia | $105,059 | $50.51 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $115,575 | $55.56 |
| 6 | Arizona | $99,320 | $47.75 |
| 7 | Michigan | $102,238 | $49.15 |
| 8 | Alaska | $100,622 | $48.38 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $107,085 | $51.48 |
| 10 | Arkansas | $104,534 | $50.26 |
| 11 | Colorado | $99,030 | $47.61 |
| 12 | Mississippi | $97,339 | $46.80 |
| 13 | Idaho | $104,269 | $50.13 |
| 14 | Washington | $95,195 | $45.77 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $102,232 | $49.15 |
| 16 | Nevada | $97,741 | $46.99 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $95,350 | $45.84 |
| 18 | Louisiana | $93,983 | $45.18 |
| 19 | Virginia | $91,939 | $44.20 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $94,581 | $45.47 |
| 21 | Indiana | $92,268 | $44.36 |
| 22 | Alabama | $90,709 | $43.61 |
| 23 | Ohio | $93,164 | $44.79 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $91,636 | $44.06 |
| 25 | Montana | $96,016 | $46.16 |
| 26 | New York | $91,841 | $44.15 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $90,352 | $43.44 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $90,079 | $43.31 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $91,384 | $43.93 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $93,163 | $44.79 |
| 31 | Delaware | $83,990 | $40.38 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $89,564 | $43.06 |
| 33 | Maine | $88,111 | $42.36 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $84,100 | $40.43 |
| 35 | Oregon | $84,175 | $40.47 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $89,010 | $42.79 |
| 37 | Maryland | $84,025 | $40.40 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $89,121 | $42.85 |
| 39 | Missouri | $90,243 | $43.39 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | $80,642 | $38.77 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $84,463 | $40.61 |
| 42 | Illinois | $79,391 | $38.17 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | $78,739 | $37.86 |
| 44 | Connecticut | $82,635 | $39.73 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | $82,119 | $39.48 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $71,612 | $34.43 |
| 47 | Florida | $73,995 | $35.57 |
| 48 | Vermont | $76,056 | $36.57 |
| 49 | Iowa | $78,025 | $37.51 |
| 50 | Kansas | $81,596 | $39.23 |
| 51 | Pennsylvania | $74,912 | $36.02 |
The highest-paying cities for marine engineers are San Rafael, CA, Houston, TX, and Savannah, GA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Rafael, CA | $118,056 | $56.76 |
| 2 | Houston, TX | $116,464 | $55.99 |
| 3 | Savannah, GA | $106,318 | $51.11 |
| 4 | Ann Arbor, MI | $102,401 | $49.23 |
| 5 | Lake Havasu City, AZ | $101,926 | $49.00 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $95,705 | $46.01 |
| 7 | Mobile, AL | $93,988 | $45.19 |
| 8 | Kenner, LA | $93,868 | $45.13 |
| 9 | Edison, NJ | $93,288 | $44.85 |
| 10 | Chesapeake, VA | $92,494 | $44.47 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $92,205 | $44.33 |
| 12 | Fond du Lac, WI | $91,763 | $44.12 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $91,029 | $43.76 |
| 14 | Washington, DC | $84,203 | $40.48 |
| 15 | Portland, OR | $83,084 | $39.94 |
| 16 | Boston, MA | $80,583 | $38.74 |
| 17 | Riverview, FL | $75,392 | $36.25 |
| 18 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $71,916 | $34.58 |
A marine engineer's salary ranges from $69,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $147,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $147,000 | $12,250 | $71 |
| 75th Percentile | $123,000 | $10,250 | $59 |
| Average | $101,152 | $8,429 | $49 |
| 25th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
The highest paying types of marine engineers are senior engineer, staff engineer, and tool engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Development Engineer | $86,075 | $7,173 | $41.38 | 202,155 |
| Research And Development Engineer | $100,169 | $8,347 | $48.16 | 187,910 |
| Development Engineer | $93,206 | $7,767 | $44.81 | 224,881 |
| Product Design Engineer | $94,827 | $7,902 | $45.59 | 170,485 |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | $75,821 | $6,318 | $36.45 | 120,258 |
| Tool Engineer | $101,135 | $8,428 | $48.62 | 98,936 |
Top companies hiring marine engineers now:
Marine engineer salaries at Chevron and Exxon Mobil are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average marine engineer salary at companies like Booz Allen Hamilton and 2H Offshore are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | $128,050 | $61.56 |
| 2 | Exxon Mobil | $127,347 | $61.22 |
| 3 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $113,854 | $54.74 |
| 4 | 2H Offshore | $113,780 | $54.70 |
| 5 | NOV | $113,656 | $54.64 |
| 6 | TBS Shipping Services | $108,856 | $52.33 |
| 7 | MODEC International, Inc. | $108,660 | $52.24 |
| 8 | Serco | $108,660 | $52.24 |
| 9 | Applied Insight | $108,647 | $52.23 |
| 10 | Enertech Resources | $108,575 | $52.20 |
| 11 | *n/a* | $108,528 | $52.18 |
| 12 | Delmar Systems, Inc. | $108,402 | $52.12 |
| 13 | Marine Spill Response | $107,967 | $51.91 |
| 14 | Atkins Houston Offshore Engineering | $107,930 | $51.89 |
| 15 | SubCom | $107,817 | $51.84 |
| 16 | GL Noble Denton | $107,692 | $51.77 |
| 17 | Hatch | $107,623 | $51.74 |
| 18 | KBR | $107,247 | $51.56 |
| 19 | Oceaneering | $106,299 | $51.11 |
| 20 | Lloyd's Register | $106,286 | $51.10 |
The average marine engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $107,404 | $51.64 |
| 2 | Energy | $105,711 | $50.82 |
| 3 | Transportation | $102,790 | $49.42 |
| 4 | Government | $87,610 | $42.12 |
The average marine engineer salary has risen by $11,224 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average marine engineer earned $89,928 annually, but today, they earn $101,152 a year. That works out to a 2% change in pay for marine engineers over the last decade.
Compare marine engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare marine engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $101,000 | $48.63 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $97,900 | $47.08 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | $98,100 | $47.16 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $96,400 | $46.35 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | $98,900 | $47.57 | +0.3% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amentum | Marine Engineer | Washington, DC | 06/28/2025 | $120,000 |
| COWI | Senior Marine Engineer, for Cowi In North America | San Diego, CA | 06/18/2025 | $123,000 |
| Hornblower | Marine Engineer)-Maritime-Alcatraz Cruises | San Francisco, CA | 06/17/2025 | $110,465 |
| Caci International | MID-Level Marine Engineer | Enon, VA | 06/10/2025 | $63,300 |
| SGH | Engineer In Training Marine/Waterfront | Oakland, CA | 06/09/2025 | $75,920 |
| Caci International | Marine Engineer | Kittery, ME | 05/27/2025 | $82,100 |
| Caci International | Marine Engineer | Portsmouth, NH | 05/27/2025 | $86,200 |
| Caci International | Marine Engineer | Ione, WA | 05/27/2025 | $55,500 |
| Aptim | Senior Marine Engineer | New York, NY | 05/22/2025 | $145,000 |
| True Environmental | Marine and Coastal Engineer I | New York, NY | 05/16/2025 | $70,000 |
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