Marine Engineer
Impact: Vessel reliability and maritime safety through expert marine engineering and maintenance
Design, maintain, and operate the mechanical and electrical systems aboard ships and offshore platforms. Manage propulsion systems, power generation, cargo handling equipment, and safety systems to ensure vessel reliability and operational efficiency.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Minimal
- Team vs solo
- 55% Team / 45% Solo
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 60 to 80% sea voyages
- Schedule flexibility
- Structured
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 60 to 84 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $150,000
- Entry-level
- $70,000 - $100,000
- Senior
- $240,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 4% (stable)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Very Low
- Salary growth potential
- High - 65 to 80% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $20,000 - $50,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Marine engineering systems
- Diesel engines
- Electrical systems
- Hydraulics
- Maintenance management
- STCW
Soft skills
- Technical problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Leadership
- Communication
- Composure under pressure
Technical complexity: Very High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 3 to 5 years
- Years to senior
- 8 to 12 years
- Career switching
- Very Hard
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Engineer Cadet > Fourth Engineer > Third Engineer > Second Engineer > Chief Engineer
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 15% low risk as shipboard engineering requires hands-on expertise
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 7.8/10
- Meaning
- 8/10
- Work-life balance
- 5.5/10
- Prestige
- 7.8/10
- Social perception
- High