Marine Engineers and Naval Architects: salary, outlook & degrees
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
Middle half $99,250–$137,690. 8,250 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
87% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $96,653.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 500 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 24% | Mechanical Engineering |
| Naval Architecture And Marine Engineering | 20% | — |
| General Engineering | 7% | Engineering |
| Civil Engineering | 7% | Civil Engineering |
| Chemical Engineering | 4% | Chemical Engineering |
| English Language And Literature | 3% | English |
| Electrical Engineering | 3% | Electrical Engineering |
| Miscellaneous Engineering | 2% | — |
| Materials Science | 2% | — |
| Physics | 2% | Physics |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $172,330 |
| Texas | $152,780 |
| South Carolina | $136,990 |
| Florida | $130,640 |
| Maryland | $130,150 |
| Massachusetts | $114,640 |
| New York | $112,230 |
| California | $110,700 |
| Washington | $109,550 |
| Hawaii | $108,200 |
| Maine | $100,430 |
| Georgia | $97,770 |
| Mississippi | $97,060 |
| Wisconsin | $78,850 |
| Michigan | $76,210 |
Florida metro areas
- Jacksonville$107,020
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$135,270
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$132,250
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$159,700
California metro areas
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$118,100
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$103,170
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$140,520
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
Knowledge used
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
- Design
- English Language
- Transportation
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Innovation
- Intellectual Curiosity
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects: questions
How much do marine Engineers and Naval Architects make?
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects earn a U.S. median $112,230 a year; the middle half earn $99,250 to $137,690 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $95,459 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is marine Engineers and Naval Architects a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 6.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 500 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a marine Engineers and Naval Architect?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 63% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is mechanical Engineering (24%).
How much do marine Engineers and Naval Architects make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $130,640 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $112,230 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 17-2121. Method
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Cite this: “Marine Engineers and Naval Architects: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/marine-engineers-and-naval-architects.