Careers / Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$112,230
United States, 2025
Employment
8,250
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
- O*NET code
- 17-2121.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$83,010
25th percentile
$99,250
75th percentile
$137,690
90th percentile
$173,330
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Complex Problem Solving4.1
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Speaking3.8
- Writing3.8
- Active Listening3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Mathematics3.6
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Time Management3.5
- Science3.5
- Active Learning3.5
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 21 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
21
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.1 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Mathematics | 3.6 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Speaking | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Science | 3.5 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.5 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 3.5 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.4 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.4 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.4 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.0 | — | Not selected | — |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $74,510
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $59,920
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $171,270
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $49,590
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $79,870
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $74,090
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $73,900
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $65,380
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $82,280
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsSupplemental
National median $57,550
Compare with Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC | $172,330 | 490 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $159,700 | 710 | 2025 |
| TX | $152,780 | 330 | 2025 |
| Houston, TX | $144,120 | — | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $140,520 | 50 | 2025 |
| SC | $136,990 | 40 | 2025 |
| Miami, FL | $135,270 | — | 2025 |
| Tampa, FL | $132,250 | — | 2025 |
| FL | $130,640 | 370 | 2025 |
| MD | $130,150 | 300 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $128,610 | 150 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $118,100 | 90 | 2025 |
| MA | $114,640 | — | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $113,940 | 80 | 2025 |
| NY | $112,230 | 250 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $112,230 | 250 | 2025 |
| CA | $110,700 | 250 | 2025 |
| WA | $109,550 | 370 | 2025 |
| HI | $108,200 | 120 | 2025 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $108,200 | 120 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Marine Engineers and Naval Architects to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.