Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Also called: Architect Specialist, Automation Engineer, Boat Designer, Consulting Marine Engineer, Engineer, Engineering Specialist, Marine Architect, Marine Civil Engineer
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
What marine engineers and naval architects do
Typical 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.
- Design layout of craft interior, including cargo space, passenger compartments, ladder wells, and elevators.
- 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.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects salary
The median annual wage for marine engineers and naval architects is $112,230 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $83,010 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $173,330. The mean annual wage is $124,180.
The mean hourly wage of $59.00 is 8.1× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $112,230 → in 3 years $122,500 → in 5 years $129,800 → in 10 years $150,200 (10-year range $129,100–$174,300). The model assumes pay growth of +2.9% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Marine Engineers and Naval Architects? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects United States | 造船技術者（船舶の開発・設計） Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $112,230 | ¥7.25M ≈ $46,127 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $150,200 | ¥8.86M |
| Outlook score | 61 | 56 |
| AI replacement risk | 56% Moderate | 68% High |
| Workers | 8,250 | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 4 — considerable preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become marine engineers and naval architects
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as marine engineers and naval architects
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.