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Job outlook for port engineers in the United States
Are port engineer jobs in demand?
Port engineer job and salary trends over time
Port engineer jobs over time
Port engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 741 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 874 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,141 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,140 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,101 | 0.00% |
Average port engineer salary over time
Port engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $101,179 | $48.64 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $97,956 | $47.09 | --0.2% |
| 2023 | $98,126 | $47.18 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $96,440 | $46.37 | --2.5% |
| 2021 | $98,963 | $47.58 | +0.3% |
Port engineer jobs by state
Most common states for port engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 263 | 38% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 823 | 10% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 95 | 10% |
| 4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 354 | 9% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 622 | 8% |
| 6 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,635 | 7% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 460 | 7% |
| 8 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 428 | 7% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 394 | 7% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 74 | 6% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 35 | 6% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 35 | 6% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 141 | 5% |
| 14 | Alaska | 739,795 | 40 | 5% |
| 15 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 406 | 4% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 310 | 4% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 240 | 4% |
| 18 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 177 | 4% |
| 19 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 85 | 4% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 62 | 4% |
Most common cities for port engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alameda | 1 | 1% | $121,599 |
| 2 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $69,473 |
Port Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of port engineer experts
San Francisco State University
University of New Orleans
University of Michigan
What general advice would you give to a Port Engineer?
Alexander Parker PhD: Marine scientists may work for a variety of employers including work with state and federal natural resource agencies, municipalities and ports, education, including higher education, the military and others. Some marine scientists work in the field, on small boats and ships, in wetlands and other coastal ecosystems or underwater using SCUBA or remotely operated vehicles. Other marine scientists primarily work in the laboratory or using computers to analyze remotely sensed data or to develop and run numerical simulations (modeling). Some marine scientists work to communicate science to different stakeholders from students to elected officials.
What Port Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alexander Parker PhD: There is so much to like about working in the field of marine science. For some, there opportunity for adventure in your work is a real benefit. Some marine scientists visit remote locations as part of their work, including the center of ocean gyres and the poles. Because the field is rapidly changing, there are constant opportunities to learn new things and explore new science questions. While there are many exciting careers for recent graduates with baccalaureate degrees, mid career scientists will likely need specialized training from graduate school or other training programs.
What will help Port Engineers increase their earning potential?
Alexander Parker PhD: It is an incredibly exciting time to work in marine science. While the ocean is the single largest feature on the planet (comprising ~70% of the Earth’s surface) much of the ocean is yet to be explored, let alone, routinely monitored. Greater awareness of the role that the ocean plays in global climate has also highlighted the need for understanding. New low cost technologies have created many opportunities to monitor the ocean – for example ocean temperature and sea level height. Ocean observing satellites and ocean models are rapidly improving with these new technologies. Over the past decade or so, vast improvements in computing and data science have allowed marine scientists to being to assimilate data and build models of ocean function. As society begins to grapple with challenges from climate change, marine scientists will be invaluable for guiding data-driven decision making. Whether it be related to sea level rise, the frequency of storms or droughts, greenhouse gases, or changes to how we regulate the discharge of agricultural and municipal pollution, marine scientists will have a role to play in collecting, analyzing and communicating scientific findings.
Vincent Xiaochuan Yu Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Director & Principal Research Scientist, Laboratory of Applied Offshore TechnologyUniversity of New Orleans
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
What skills stand out on Port Engineer resumes?
Vincent Xiaochuan Yu Ph.D.: Marine engineers are different from ocean engineers. The title of this email is about ocean engineering skills, so I hope to focus on "Ocean Engineers."
The students should know how to do hydrodynamics analysis and hydrostatic analysis. Those skills make "Ocean Engineers" different from "Mechanical Engineers" and "Civil Engineers." Beyond this, I hope that the students can learn mooring analysis and design.
What soft skills should all Port Engineers possess?
Vincent Xiaochuan Yu Ph.D.: Communications and passions to ocean engineering. My suggestion is to actively get involved in some domestic or international conferences or symposiums, like OTC, SNAME Offshore Symposium, OMAE, etc., to meet with professionals from industry and academia.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Port Engineers?
Vincent Xiaochuan Yu Ph.D.: Some project experiences focusing on hydrodynamics analysis, hydrostatic analysis, mooring analysis, and design may be useful. So internship may be important for you to know this industry.
What skills will help Port Engineers earn the most?
Vincent Xiaochuan Yu Ph.D.: Solid engineering background is important if your target is to become an excellent engineer in the future. In other words, know how to analyze and solve real engineering problems.
Dr. David Singer Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Undergraduate Program ChairUniversity of Michigan
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
What skills stand out on Port Engineer resumes?
Dr. David Singer Ph.D.: As someone who has been in the industry and hired young engineers, GPA only matters if it is terrible. The three skills that matter most are the non-academic transferable skills, grade trend, and involvement in the field. You hire a young engineer based on their potential. The real questions are their potential, whether they have the base knowledge and skills needed to exercise their potential, have they demonstrated a passion for the field, and have acquired softer transferable skills such as writing, speaking, and emotional intelligence.
Non-academic transferable skills include volunteer work, leadership activities, teams, etc. Anything outside of class in which they are actively involved would have provided them the experiences needed to achieve personal growth.
However, when I do look at a person's GPA, the question I always ask is, why? Suppose students have a lower GPA because they messed up during their first year but got high grades in their junior and senior years when real naval architecture education occurs. In that case, the trend is good, and their GPA does not correctly reflect their potential. On the other hand, if they did well in their first and second years but did not do well in their junior and senior year, this would raise a red flag. That is an alarming trend.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Port Engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. David Singer Ph.D.: The coasts and D.C.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Port Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. David Singer Ph.D.: The pandemic caused a downturn in the oil industry and has impacted the cruise industry. Traditionally both industries provide a large number of summer internships to our students as well as permanent employment. While these markets have experienced hardship, our students have had no issues finding a job. Over the last five years, there have been large increases in defense, marine alternative energy, maritime autonomy, marine digitization, and U.S. market commercial shipbuilding. Our students have just taken jobs in those fields instead of traditionally going to the higher-paying oil industry.