Engineering and architecture
Marine engineers and naval architects
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
Median pay
$112,230
Growth to 2035
+7%
faster than average
Openings a year
500
Time to qualify*
Minimal
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Marine engineers and naval architects
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to marine engineers and naval architects
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Marine engineers and naval architects: 53% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
- Prepare technical reports for use by engineering, management, or sales personnel.
Also called: Marine Architect · Marine Design Engineer · Marine Engineer · Marine Engineering Consultant · Marine Structural Designer · Marine Surveyor · Naval Architect · Naval Architect Specialist
Outlook and AI
Marine engineers and naval architects held 8,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 8,900 by 2035 (+7%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Ship engineer
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Aerospace engineer
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Mechanical engineer
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Industrial engineer
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Civil engineer
- Marine engineers and naval architects vs. Electrical engineer