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Ship Engineer

What Does it Take to Be a Ship Engineer?

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.

List of Ship Engineer Job Duties

  • Fabricate engine replacement parts, such as valves, stay rods, or bolts, using metalworking machinery.
  • Install engine controls, propeller shafts, or propellers.
  • Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed.
  • Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks.
  • Act as a liaison between a ship’s captain and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets are maintained and that the ship is operated safely and efficiently.
  • Record orders for changes in ship speed or direction and note gauge readings or test data, such as revolutions per minute or voltage output, in engineering logs or bellbooks.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Ship Engineer?

These are the skills Ship Engineers say are the most useful in their careers:

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

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.

Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Types of Ship Engineer

  • Maritime Engineer
  • Fire Boat Engineer
  • Ferry Engineer
  • Ship Engines Operating Engineer
  • Deck Engineer

Is There Going to be Demand 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.

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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.

Ship Engineer Average Salary

The salary for Ship Engineers ranges between about $40,330 and $123,670 a year.

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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 & Technology do Ship Engineers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Ship Engineers may use on a daily basis:

  • 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 to Become a Ship Engineer

Education needed to be a Ship Engineer:

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What work experience do I need to become a Ship Engineer?

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Those who work as a Ship Engineer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: via CC0 Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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