How To Become A Marine Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a marine technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

If you really know your way around a boat, then you may want to consider becoming a marine technician. Marine technicians are the ones that keep boats afloat on the water. Marine technicians inspect, maintain, and repair all types of boats. To do their jobs, they must be familiar with all aspects of boats, including boat engines, hulls, propellers, rigging, masts, sails, and navigation equipment.

To keep the boat in working order, these technicians frequently work with mechanical systems. They fix damaged parts, perform regular maintenance, and use diagnostic equipment to troubleshoot problems. You'll likely also be expected to make adjustments to electrical and plumbing systems as needed. You may also be expected to install new systems and suggest modifications.

If you'd like to work as a marine technician, you'll need to have good mechanical skills and work well with hand tools. Although not required, many employers prefer candidates with a high school diploma. Most new workers receive on-the-job training from experienced technicians. However, some technicians undergo training at technical or vocational schools.

ScoreMarine TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $40,769

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.12%

Asian 0.87%

Black or African American 2.67%

Hispanic or Latino 13.10%

Unknown 5.62%

White 76.63%

Gender

female 11.93%

male 88.07%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.0

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a marine technician

Explore marine technician education requirements

Most common marine technician degrees

Bachelor's

36.1 %

Associate

28.1 %

High School Diploma

17.6 %

Start to develop specific marine technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Boats	13.63%
Hand Tools	12.99%
Electrical Systems	7.23%
Customer Satisfaction	7.12%
Work Ethic	6.21%

Complete relevant marine technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New marine technicians 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 technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real marine technician resumes.

Research marine technician duties and responsibilities

Operate wide variety of equipment including power saws, grinders, cranes drill press and basic hand tools.
Preform all necessary repairs to fiberglass, electrical systems, as well as engine repairs.
Complete motorcycle certify courses for Suzuki and Yamaha (mechanical, electrical and fuel systems).
Perform maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs on Honda, Suzuki, Polaris, and victory products.

Prepare your marine technician resume

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

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a marine technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable marine technician resume templates

Build a professional marine technician 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 technician resume.