What does a marine mechanic do?
A marine mechanic, also known as a motorboat mechanic, is a highly skilled individual who services and repairs electrical and mechanical equipment on marine vessels. Their role is to repair and maintain marine engines, restore motorized and electrical equipment on boat engines, winterize boats, determine problems with a vessel, and conduct general routine maintenance of vessels. The main qualification for this position is a mechanical certification.
Marine mechanic responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real marine mechanic resumes:
- Design shipboard HVAC and piping systems.
- Install and repair marine systems such as electrical, plumbing, refrigeration, water maker, A/C, heating.
- Complete roofing, framing, structure raising, electrical, plumbing, and all aspects from start to finish work.
- Certify master marine mechanic, specializing in Yamaha and Johnson-Evinrude outboard motors as well as Kawasaki ATV's and jet skis.
- Specialize in repairing and maintaining automotive transmissions.
- Overhaul complex plumbing systems and insurance of valve dependability.
- Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
- Experience in fiberglass craftsmanship producing timely results on boat projects.
- Perform business operations relate to customer service/sales and pleasure boat rentals.
- Perform complete overhauls on transmissions, steering units, repair or remove and replace in diesel trucks and marine environments.
Marine mechanic skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Marine Mechanics are proficient in Grinders, Hand Tools, and Boats. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Marine Mechanics that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Grinders, 11%
Trained to troubleshoot and repair all types of restaurant equipment including fryers, bakery ovens, meat grinders, mixers
- Hand Tools, 9%
Use hand tools such as screwdrivers and ratchets, as well as power tools, pneumatic wrenches, jacks and hoists.
- Boats, 7%
Implemented maintenance schedule for all boats putting forth vessel longevity based off Naval equipment standard operating procedures.
- Test Equipment, 5%
Performed/directed detailed troubleshooting with test equipment and precision tools using blueprints, specifications, etc.
- Shipyard, 4%
Perform receipt inspection of Government Furnished and Shipyard Furnished equipment.
- Diesel Engines, 4%
Performed maintenance on Fairbanks Morse diesel engines, refrigeration plants, carbon dioxide scrubbers, and hydraulic power plants.
Common skills that a marine mechanic uses to do their job include "grinders," "hand tools," and "boats." You can find details on the most important marine mechanic responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a marine mechanic to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "small engine mechanics frequently discuss problems and necessary repairs with their customers." Marine mechanics often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "perform business operations related to customer service/sales and pleasure boat rentals. "
Detail oriented. Many marine mechanic duties rely on detail oriented. "small engine mechanics must be aware of small details when inspecting or repairing engines and components, because mechanical and electronic malfunctions are often due to misalignments and other easy-to-miss causes.," so a marine mechanic will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways marine mechanic responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "perform major and minor repairs of engines, transmissions and various details on pleasure and commercial boats. "
Dexterity. This is an important skill for marine mechanics to perform their duties. For an example of how marine mechanic responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "small engine mechanics need a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination for many tasks, such as disassembling engine parts, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a marine mechanic: "travel lift operator, crane operator* summer employment".
Mechanical skills. marine mechanic responsibilities often require "mechanical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "small engine mechanics must be familiar with engine components and systems and know how they interact with each other." This resume example shows what marine mechanics do with mechanical skills on a typical day: "performed all aspects of boat repair including rigging, wiring, mechanical and warranty repairs. "
Organizational skills. Another crucial skill for a marine mechanic to carry out their responsibilities is "organizational skills." A big part of what marine mechanics relies on this skill, since "small engine mechanics keep workspaces clean and organized in order to maintain safety and ensure accountability for parts." How this skill relates to marine mechanic duties can be seen in an example from a marine mechanic resume snippet: "utilized the technical manuals 10,20 at organizational level. "
Troubleshooting skills. Another skill commonly found on marine mechanic job descriptions is "troubleshooting skills." It can come up quite often in marine mechanic duties, since "small engine mechanics use diagnostic equipment on engine systems and components to identify and fix problems." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day marine mechanic responsibilities: "performed diagnostic tests, troubleshooting, routine maintenance and light repairs on 2- cycle and 4-cycle marine engines. "
The three companies that hire the most marine mechanics are:
- Aramark4 marine mechanics jobs
- Brunswick4 marine mechanics jobs
- Huntington Ingalls Industries4 marine mechanics jobs
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Compare different marine mechanics
Marine mechanic vs. Motorcycle service technician
The job of a mechanic helper is to support lead mechanics and perform a variety of duties and responsibilities. You will be assisting in the maintenance of cars, such as changing tires and oils, replacing brakes, and diagnosing vehicle issues. In addition, you will be responsible for logging labor costs and inventory use and take vehicles for test drives. Other duties include replacing belts and hoses, assisting the lead mechanic in major projects, and repairing and maintaining cars.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a marine mechanic are more likely to require skills like "grinders," "hand tools," "boats," and "test equipment." On the other hand, a job as a motorcycle service technician requires skills like "bmw," "scooters," "polaris," and "harley-davidson." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, motorcycle service technicians reach similar levels of education than marine mechanics. Motorcycle service technicians are 3.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 10.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Marine mechanic vs. Outboard technician
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, marine mechanic responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "grinders," "hand tools," "test equipment," and "shipyard." Meanwhile, an outboard technician has duties that require skills in areas such as "fiberglass," "troubleshoot," "diagnostics," and "road service." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Outboard technicians tend to reach similar levels of education than marine mechanics. In fact, they're 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 10.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Marine mechanic vs. Mechanic helper
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a marine mechanic is likely to be skilled in "grinders," "boats," "shipyard," and "drill presses," while a typical mechanic helper is skilled in "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "preventive maintenance," and "safety equipment."
Mechanic helpers earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $36,229. Marine mechanics earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $43,459.When it comes to education, mechanic helpers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to marine mechanics. In fact, they're 2.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Marine mechanic vs. Marine services technician
Types of marine mechanic
Updated January 8, 2025
