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Shipbuilding & Vessel Design
Huntington Ingalls Industries, General Dynamics NASSCO, Fincantieri Marinette Marine
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Marine engineers and naval architects design, test, and improve ships, boats, and the machinery that keeps them working safely. The job stands out because it combines deep technical analysis with strict safety and regulatory requirements, so every design choice has to balance performance, cost, and compliance. That tradeoff is the core of the work: a better design is only useful if it can survive real water, real loads, and real rules.
Also known as Marine EngineerNaval ArchitectNaval EngineerMarine Systems EngineerShip Design Engineer
Median Salary
$105,670
Mean $116,680
U.S. Workforce
~8K
0.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+5.8%
8.5K to 9K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects sits in the Science category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~8K workers, with a median annual pay of $105,670 and roughly 0.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 8.5 K in 2024 to 9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in marine engineering, naval architecture, or mechanical engineering, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Junior Marine Engineer and can progress toward Principal Marine Engineer. High-value skills usually include Finite Element Analysis (ANSYS, Abaqus) for Ship Structures, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for Marine Performance, and Stability, Weight, and Vibration Analysis, paired with soft skills such as Complex problem solving, Critical thinking, and Judgment and decision making.
Core Responsibilities
- Figure out whether a ship or marine system design is practical before the team spends money building it.
- Keep automated controls, alarms, and other safety systems working so equipment does not fail at sea.
- Run calculations on a vessel's stability, structure, weight balance, and vibration behavior.
- Design marine engines, equipment, and ship structures, then study how they perform under real operating conditions.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Figure out whether a ship or marine system design is practical before the team spends money building it.
02 Keep automated controls, alarms, and other safety systems working so equipment does not fail at sea.
03 Run calculations on a vessel's stability, structure, weight balance, and vibration behavior.
04 Design marine engines, equipment, and ship structures, then study how they perform under real operating conditions.
05 Test marine machinery in the field or in a lab to see whether it meets safety, environmental, and performance targets.
06 Work with researchers, shipyards, and regulators to fix design problems, plan repairs, and oversee installation or retrofits.
Industries That Hire
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Defense & Naval Systems
BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Electric Boat
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Offshore Energy & Marine Equipment
Chevron, Shell, TechnipFMC
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Marine Consulting & Classification
American Bureau of Shipping, DNV, Lloyd's Register
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Commercial Shipping & Fleet Services
Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is strong for a specialized engineering job: the mean annual wage is $116,680 and the median is $105,670.
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You can move into the field without prior work experience or on-the-job training, so the main barrier is education rather than years of apprenticeship.
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The work is varied, moving between design work, analysis, testing, and coordination with shipyards or regulators.
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Demand is steady rather than flashy, with projected employment rising from 8.5K to 9.0K by 2034 and about 0.6K annual openings.
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The job has clear real-world impact because design mistakes can affect safety, fuel use, repairs, and whether a vessel is seaworthy.
Challenges
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This is a small occupation with only 8,440 current jobs, so openings can be limited and competition can be concentrated in certain coastal regions or contractors.
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Growth is modest at 5.8% over ten years, so the field is not expanding quickly.
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A bachelor's degree is the usual entry point, and 52.63% of workers hold one, which makes the education bar relatively high for a niche occupation.
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A lot of the job is shaped by compliance rules and outside approval, so even good technical ideas may be slowed or changed by safety standards and regulators.
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Hiring can rise and fall with shipbuilding, defense spending, and marine capital projects, which makes the market more cyclical than many general engineering fields.
Career Progression
Junior Marine Engineer
0-2 years
$65K-$82K
Supports senior engineers with calculations, drawings, testing prep, and documentation while learning the standards that govern marine systems.
Marine Engineer and Naval Architect
3-7 years
$88K-$123K
Owns parts of the design work, balances performance and safety, and helps solve problems in machinery, hull design, or control systems.
Senior Marine Engineer THIS ROLE
8-12 years
$124K-$155K
Leads complex analyses, reviews test results, and takes responsibility for design decisions that affect cost, compliance, and reliability.
Principal Marine Engineer
13+ years
$156K-$190K
Sets technical direction on major projects, mentors other engineers, and works with clients, shipyards, and regulators on high-stakes decisions.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in marine engineering, naval architecture, or mechanical engineering
The most common entry point, held by 52.63% of workers in this role.
Post-secondary certificate in marine technology or ship systems
A shorter, more specialized route used by 15.79% of workers, usually paired with strong technical experience or a related degree.
First professional degree in engineering or naval architecture
A less common academic path, held by 10.53% of workers, that can be especially useful for licensure-focused engineering careers.
Associate's degree plus shipyard or marine technician experience
An alternative route used by 5.26% of workers, but it usually needs a strong portfolio of hands-on marine or mechanical work to compete for design roles.
Key Skills
Technical
Finite Element Analysis (ANSYS, Abaqus) for Ship Structures 82%
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for Marine Performance 81%
Stability, Weight, and Vibration Analysis 80%
AutoCAD, SolidWorks & Marine CAD Drafting 78%
ABS, DNV & IMO Compliance Review 77%
MATLAB, Python & Engineering Calculations 76%
Marine Test Instrumentation & Data Logging 75%
Technical Documentation, Specs & Engineering Reports 74%
Soft Skills
Complex problem solvingCritical thinkingJudgment and decision makingActive listeningSpeakingWriting Job Outlook and Trends
+5.8%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 8.5K to 9 K over the next decade, representing 5.8% growth. Around 0.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.