Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects is licensed or registered in 47 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 3 professional certifications to Marine Engineers and Naval Architects. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Certified Marine Chemist (CMC). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of marine engineers and naval architects work in Manufacturing (54%), Transportation and Warehousing (25%), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (11%) and Public Administration (7%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most marine engineers and naval architects are Ship and Boat Building (55% of the jobs counted, median pay $104,800), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (17% of the jobs counted, median pay $115,350), Federal Executive Branch (13% of the jobs counted, median pay $124,760), Support Activities for Water Transportation (7% of the jobs counted, median pay $128,340) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Support Activities for Water Transportation ($128,340), Federal Executive Branch ($124,760), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services ($115,350). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among marine engineers and naval architects with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Mechanical Engineering (24%), Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (21%), Electrical Engineering (7%) and General Engineering (5%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Engineers", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 9.7 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 10 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Architecture and engineering", which includes this career, 6.4% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $2,083 for union members and $1,921 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to marine engineers and naval architects.
Wages employers offered H-1B workers. For marine engineers and naval architects, employers filed 62 certified Labor Condition Applications for H-1B workers covering 62 worker positions in FY2025, with a median lower-bound wage offered of $102,000 (the middle half ran from $91,500 to $130,000) (U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification). These are wages named in employers' applications to hire temporary foreign workers, usually in jobs that need at least a bachelor's degree. They are not what every worker in the occupation earns. The Department of Labor has not endorsed this presentation.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to marine engineers and naval architects, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for marine engineers and naval architects are: face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (100%), e-mail (95%), telephone conversations (94%), determine tasks, priorities and goals (89%), importance of being exact or accurate (83%), impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (82%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (32% of 19 respondents) was "over 4 years, up to and including 6 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (26% of 19 respondents) was "over 6 months, up to and including 1 year"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (37% of 19 respondents) was "over 6 months, up to and including 1 year". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to marine engineers and naval architects in the work done and the skills used: Ship Engineers, Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians, Aerospace Engineers, Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Mechanical Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare marine engineers and naval architects with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
CIP 14.2201