Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 17-2121.00United States

Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $112,237
Projected change: +6.9%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 10.07K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What marine engineers and naval architects do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Perform monitoring activities to ensure that ships comply with international regulations and standards for life-saving equipment and pollution preventatives.
Design complete hull and superstructure according to specifications and test data, in conformity with standards of safety, efficiency, and economy.
Conduct analyses of ships, such as stability, structural, weight, and vibration analyses.
Study design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of craft, such as size, weight, speed, propulsion, displacement, and draft.
Maintain contact with, and formulate reports for, contractors and clients to ensure completion of work at minimum cost.
Coordinate activities with regulatory bodies to ensure repairs and alterations are at minimum cost and consistent with safety.
Check, test, and maintain automatic controls and alarm systems.
Design layout of craft interior, including cargo space, passenger compartments, ladder wells, and elevators.
Prepare technical reports for use by engineering, management, or sales personnel.
Prepare, or direct the preparation of, product or system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics.
Evaluate performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards.
Inspect marine equipment and machinery to draw up work requests and job specifications.
Evaluate operation of marine equipment during acceptance testing and shakedown cruises.
Conduct analytical, environmental, operational, or performance studies to develop designs for products, such as marine engines, equipment, and structures.
Establish arrangement of boiler room equipment and propulsion machinery, heating and ventilating systems, refrigeration equipment, piping, and other functional equipment.
Investigate and observe tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with standards.
Prepare plans, estimates, design and construction schedules, and contract specifications, including any special provisions.
Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment.
Conduct environmental, operational, or performance tests on marine machinery and equipment.
Determine conditions under which tests are to be conducted, as well as sequences and phases of test operations.
Analyze data to determine feasibility of product proposals.
Confer with research personnel to clarify or resolve problems and to develop or modify designs.
Review work requests and compare them with previous work completed on ships to ensure that costs are economically sound.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $83,013
25th percentile: $99,237
50th percentile: $112,237
75th percentile: $137,696
90th percentile: $173,326

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $112,237 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+6.9%faster than average

202510,074 jobs

2035 projected10,774 jobs

700 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 52.6%
Certificate: 15.8%
Some college: 10.5%
Master's or Professional degree: 10.5%
High school diploma or less: 5.3%
Associate degree: 5.3%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Marine Engineering
Naval Architecture
AutoCAD
Machinery
Project Management
Ship Design
Mechanical Engineering
Structural Engineering
Engineering Design Process
Construction
Systems Engineering
Industry Standards
Electrical Engineering
Propulsion
Control Systems
Electrical Systems
Hydraulics
Engineering Support
Regulatory Compliance
Systems Design

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Naval Architects250 postings
02Marine Engineers171 postings
03Mine Electrical Engineers139 postings
04Structural Engineers117 postings
05Port Engineers94 postings
06Fluid Systems Engineers79 postings
07Estimating Managers40 postings
08Engineers38 postings
09Structural Project Engineers38 postings
10Third Assistant Engineers36 postings
11Naval Architects/Marine Engineers35 postings
12Principal Engineers34 postings
13Offshore Managers31 postings
14First Assistant Engineers27 postings
15Systems Engineers26 postings
16Chief Marine Engineers22 postings
17Waterfront Directors22 postings
18Technical Superintendents21 postings
19Coastal Engineers20 postings
20Engineering Assistants20 postings

Top employers

01Serco314 postings
02SST Direct Limited Liability Company40 postings
03CACI International39 postings
04American Cruise Lines33 postings
05Huntington Ingalls Industries32 postings
06WSP Global32 postings
07Hornblower And Company27 postings
08KCI Technologies27 postings
09Cowi26 postings
10Stantec26 postings
11General Dynamics25 postings
12Orbis Corporation23 postings
13Savage19 postings
14Hornblower Cruises And Events18 postings
15THOR Solutions18 postings
16Colliers Engineering & Design16 postings
17Leidos16 postings
18United States Department of Defense15 postings
19Geosyntec Consultants14 postings
20Kpff Consulting Engineers14 postings

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