Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
What Marine Engineers and Naval Architects Do
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.3/5
- Mechanicalimportance 4.2/5
- Designimportance 4.0/5
- English Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Transportationimportance 3.7/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
- Physicsimportance 3.6/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.7/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
- Telephone Conversations4.5/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.1/5
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.1/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians85% skill match
- Mechanical Engineers85% skill match
- Materials Scientists83% skill match
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers83% skill match
- Nuclear Engineers82% skill match
- Food Science Technicians82% skill match
- Industrial Engineers81% skill match
- Chemists81% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.8/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.5/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.5/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.4/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.4/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.4/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.4/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Other Software Used
- ANSYS AQWA
- ANSYS ASAS
- AeroHydro MultiSurf
- Ansys Fluent
- Autodesk Algor Simulation
- Bentley STAAD
- Creative System GHS
- Herbert Software Solutions HECSALV
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Innovation
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Achievement Orientation
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- InvestigativeHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingMedium
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where marine engineers and naval architects make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA35.77× national avg
- 2Barnstable Town, MA24.36× national avg
- 3Portland-South Portland, ME14.82× national avg
- 4Gulfport-Biloxi, MS6.93× national avg
- 5Urban Honolulu, HI4.96× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Mechanical EngineersLateral Move
- Industrial EngineersLateral Move
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and TechniciansLateral Move
- Nuclear EngineersLateral Move
See the full career path from Marine Engineers and Naval Architects →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.