All About Ship Engineers
Job Description: Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.
Ship Engineer Responsibilities
- Maintain electrical power, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, or sewerage systems.
- Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified.
- Supervise the activities of marine engine technicians engaged in the maintenance or repair of mechanical or electrical marine vessels and inspect their work to ensure that it is performed properly.
- Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks.
- Maintain complete records of engineering department activities, including machine operations.
- Perform or participate in emergency drills, as required.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Ship Engineer?
Ship Engineers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Other Ship Engineer Job Titles
- Assistant Engineer
- Marine Engine Mechanic
- Maritime Engineer
- Equipment Operating Engineer
- Ship Engines Operating Engineer
Are There Job Opportunities for Ship Engineers?
There were about 10,100 jobs for Ship Engineer in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 700 new jobs for Ship Engineer by 2026. The BLS estimates 1,300 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Ship Engineer are Maine, Texas, and South Carolina. Watch out if you plan on working in Missouri, Indiana, or Pennsylvania. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Ship Engineer
Ship Engineers make between $40,330 and $123,670 a year.

Ship Engineers who work in New York, Missouri, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Ship Engineers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alaska | $63,620 |
California | $66,870 |
Florida | $67,650 |
Georgia | $66,440 |
Kentucky | $88,710 |
Louisiana | $76,010 |
Massachusetts | $84,810 |
Minnesota | $73,450 |
Mississippi | $77,260 |
Missouri | $86,470 |
New Jersey | $73,790 |
New York | $100,430 |
North Carolina | $49,370 |
Oregon | $78,820 |
Pennsylvania | $81,900 |
South Carolina | $79,350 |
Tennessee | $75,750 |
Texas | $74,100 |
Virginia | $72,970 |
Washington | $84,960 |
What Tools do Ship Engineers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Ship Engineers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Project
- Oracle software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Apple macOS
- SAP software
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Salesforce
- Computer aided dispatch software
- Electronic data interchange EDI software
- Wonderware software
How do I Become a Ship Engineer?
Education needed to be a Ship Engineer:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Ship Engineers Sector

Ship Engineers work in the following industries:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those who work as a Ship Engineer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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