Shigoto Zukan
日本語

How to become 船舶機関士education, training, experience, licenses and the steps to enter

Japan Transportation Confidence ★★★★☆

Average annual pay
¥4.70M
≈ $29,896
Top pay (est.)
¥7.85M
Top 10% ¥6.80M
Pay in 5 years
¥5.21Mest.
2031
Pay in 10 years
¥5.78Mest.
¥4.97M–¥6.71M
Outlook score
46/100
★★☆☆☆ Average
AI replacement risk
41%
Moderate
Labor demand
Low
Openings-to-applicants 0.75x

How to become 船舶機関士

The typical path in Japan is shown by the education, training and experience of current workers above and in the Japanese guidance below. A detailed English guide for this occupation is being prepared.

Guidance from job tag (Japanese)
船舶機関士になるには、海技従事者国家試験に合格して、海技士（機関）免許を取得する必要がある。
　一般的には、旧商船大学（現在は東京海洋大学と神戸大学）、商船高等専門学校、海上技術の学校等に進学し、各種の機関・機器に関する理論と実技両面について所定の修業年限を積んだ後、在学中又は卒業後に乗船実習を航海訓練所や学校所属の練習船で行う。大型の船舶に乗るには上級の免許が求められ、それに応じた乗船経験も必要となる。
　船上では船長を中心とした秩序が大切であり、規律を守ることが求められる。また、機関員を指導し、チームワークを作り上げるリーダーシップも必要となる。騒音や気温の変化などの厳しい作業環境や不規則な勤務形態の他、時差がある場合もあり、このような環境での仕事に耐えられる体力と忍耐力が求められる。

Skills, education and requirements for 船舶機関士

Key skills

Equipment Maintenance
4.3
Repairing
4.2
Operations Monitoring
4.0
Troubleshooting
3.9
Active Listening
3.8
Operation and Control
3.7
Reading Comprehension
3.6
Speaking
3.4

Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.

Key knowledge areas

Mechanical
3.2
Transportation
2.2
Physics
1.9
Engineering and Technology
1.9
Computers and Electronics
1.9
Chemistry
1.8
Mathematics
1.7
Design
1.6

What the work involves

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkIdentifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Important abilities

Problem SensitivityHearing SensitivityAuditory AttentionReaction TimeStatic StrengthFinger Dexterity

Licenses and certifications (Japan)

Related qualifications listed on job tag (names in Japanese). Some are mandatory, others recommended.

Education of workers

Training before entry

Related work experience

Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience, licenses)

Career path and how to earn more as 船舶機関士

Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data
Sources: Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), Population Census and Hello Work employment statistics as published on the MHLW job tag site (retrieved Oct 31, 2026); Occupational Information Database (JILPT). Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.