---

Marine Maintenance

Types of Degrees Marine Maintenance Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Marine Maintenance may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	546
Associate’s Degree	126
Master’s Degree	127

What Marine Maintenance Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Marine Maintenance build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Marine Maintenance graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Marine Maintenance emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Marine Maintenance program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Repairing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Equipment Maintenance — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Operation and Control — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Marine Maintenance careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Marine Maintenance graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.1 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.7 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Marine Maintenance professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Engine diagnostic scanners	Analytical or scientific software	—
CDI Electronics M.E.D.S.	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Rinda Technologies DIACOM Marine	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—
Outboard engine diagnostic software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Marine Maintenance graduates include:

• Marine Propulsion Technician
• Boat Motor Mechanic
• Outboard Motors Experimental Mechanic
• Marine Machinery Mechanic
• Marine Service Technician (Marine Service Tech)
• Boat Mechanic
• Experimental Outboard Motors Mechanic
• Boat Rigger
• Marine Diesel Mechanic
• Certified Marine Mechanic
• Service Technician
• Mechanic
• Marine Mechanic
• Boat Tester
• Boat Outboard Engine Mechanic

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Marine Maintenance graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	53.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	23.6%
Some college courses	11.5%
Less than a high school diploma	6.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Marine Maintenance?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 94.7% of Marine Maintenance degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	42	5.3%
Men	757	94.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Marine Maintenance graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	497	62.2%
Asian	3	0.4%
Hispanic or Latino	195	24.4%
Black or African American	30	3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.3%
Two or More Races	32	4.0%
Race Unknown	25	3.1%
International Students	9	1.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Marine Maintenance Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Marine Maintenance graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,744
4 years	$43,612
5 years	$49,558

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,558 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Marine Maintenance Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Marine Maintenance graduates earn a median of $43,612 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General	74,567
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician	41,728
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician	9,859
Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician	7,637
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician	5,464
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician	3,372
Medium/Heavy Vehicle and Truck Technology/Technician	2,100
Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician	896
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	719
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General	630
High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	470
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician	412

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.