What does a marine technician do?
A marine technician specializes in repairing and maintaining water vessels such as ships, boats, and yachts. Among their responsibilities include addressing the clients' issues and concerns, troubleshooting problems, inspecting and fixing electrical and mechanical equipment, installing new systems, and assessing existing ones to identify areas needing improvement, conducting upgrades as required. Furthermore, as a marine technician, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with team members while adhering to the safety policies and regulations.
Marine technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real marine technician resumes:
- 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.
- Trouble shooting , 12 volt dc wiring/ trouble shooting.
- Rig load demand, steering and trim systems.
- Use of ladders and not afraid of heights.
- Operate the latest diagnostic software to troubleshoot and repair.
- Record data and photograph streams with (GPS) camera.
- Repair and maintenance of shipboard systems including HVAC and refrigeration.
- Perform maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs of marine vessels.
- Maintain, diagnose and repair all models of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
- Repair or rework parts, using machine tools such as lathes, mills, drills, or grinders.
- Perform all aspects of diagnostic problem solving and mechanical repair to motorcycles, snowmobiles, and ATV's.
- Experience in weatherization preparation of boats for winter storage.
Marine technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Marine Technicians are proficient in Boats, Hand Tools, and Electrical Systems. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Marine Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Boats, 14%
Apply modern Quality Assurance procedures and all documentation and technical specifications associated with navy boats and motors.
- Hand Tools, 13%
Repaired or replaced wiring equipment or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.
- Electrical Systems, 7%
Repair wiring systems, troubleshoot electrical systems, interpret electrical schematics.
- Customer Satisfaction, 7%
Negotiated refunds, adjustments and other customer satisfaction needs.
- Work Ethic, 6%
Earned a reputation for a strong work ethic, quality workmanship, ability to work well with others and dependability/reliability.
- Perform Routine Maintenance, 5%
Diagnose and repair boat engines as well as perform routine maintenance using my own tools and shop equipment.
Common skills that a marine technician uses to do their job include "boats," "hand tools," and "electrical systems." You can find details on the most important marine technician responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for a marine technician to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "small engine mechanics frequently discuss problems and necessary repairs with their customers." Additionally, a marine technician resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "operate customer owned vessels for hauling and launching as well as sea trials for performed work. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling marine technician duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "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." According to a marine technician resume, here's how marine technicians can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "perform complete boat detailing, interior and exterior. "
Dexterity. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of marine technicians is dexterity. This skill is critical to many everyday marine technician duties, as "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 example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "operate an 80, 000 ton travel lift for removing boats from the water and blocking them in the boatyard. "
Mechanical skills. A big part of what marine technicians do relies on "mechanical skills." You can see how essential it is to marine technician responsibilities because "small engine mechanics must be familiar with engine components and systems and know how they interact with each other." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical marine technician tasks: "perform routine maintenance diagnose mechanical/electrical problems repower i/o. "
Organizational skills. A commonly-found skill in marine technician job descriptions, "organizational skills" is essential to what marine technicians do. Marine technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "small engine mechanics keep workspaces clean and organized in order to maintain safety and ensure accountability for parts." You can also see how marine technician duties rely on organizational skills in this resume example: "prepare powerpoint and multimedia presentations to promote organizational learning throughout the h&p; land drilling fleet. "
Troubleshooting skills. Lastly, "troubleshooting skills" is an important element of what a marine technician does. Marine technician responsibilities require this skill because "small engine mechanics use diagnostic equipment on engine systems and components to identify and fix problems." This resume example highlights how marine technician duties rely on this skill: "achieved skills for rigging of electronic instruments and various other electrical troubleshooting of boat electronics. "
The three companies that hire the most marine technicians are:
- LC Staffing
12 marine technicians jobs
- MarineMax11 marine technicians jobs
- Aerotek5 marine technicians jobs
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Compare different marine technicians
Marine technician vs. Boat mechanic
An automotive technician is responsible for maintaining the condition of automotive equipment. The duties of an automotive technician include repairing defective automotive components and inspecting and ensuring the auto's performance, stability, and safety. A tech is also responsible for upgrading the electrical systems to boost efficiency, conducting oil changes and tire checks, and installing batteries. An automotive technician also runs quality checks and improves system designs based on clients' specifications. An automotive technician must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry and automotive systems to assist clients with their inquiries and concerns.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a marine technician are more likely to require skills like "hand tools," "customer satisfaction," "work ethic," and "perform routine maintenance." On the other hand, a job as a boat mechanic requires skills like "r," "building maintenance," "electrical issues," and "electrical equipment." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, boat mechanics reach similar levels of education than marine technicians. Boat mechanics are 1.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Marine technician vs. Motorboat mechanic
Each career also uses different skills, according to real marine technician resumes. While marine technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "electrical systems," "work ethic," "perform routine maintenance," and "blowers," motorboat mechanics use skills like "motor performance," "test results," "grinders," and "machine tools."
Marine technician vs. Motorcycle service technician
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from marine technician resumes include skills like "boats," "hand tools," "electrical systems," and "customer satisfaction," whereas a motorcycle service technician is more likely to list skills in "bmw," "scooters," "polaris," and "harley-davidson. "
Motorcycle service technicians typically earn similar educational levels compared to marine technicians. Specifically, they're 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 9.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Marine technician vs. Automotive technician
Types of marine technician
Updated January 8, 2025
