Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians

Median salary

$57,550

Average salary

$58,070

Employment

23,220

Projected growth

6% growth

Annual openings

2,600

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians Do

Repair and adjust electrical and mechanical equipment of inboard or inboard-outboard boat engines.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 7.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 4.8/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.9/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
English Languageimportance 3.5/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.3/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.3/5
Transportationimportance 3.1/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.1/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.7/5
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment4.6/5
Exposed to Contaminants4.5/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.5/5
Frequency of Decision Making4.5/5

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.

Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics96% skill match
Wellhead Pumpers94% skill match
Wind Turbine Service Technicians94% skill match
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists93% skill match
Medical Equipment Repairers93% skill match
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers93% skill match
Agricultural Equipment Operators92% skill match
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators92% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Repairingimportance 4.0/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.9/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.8/5
Operation and Controlimportance 3.6/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.5/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Equipment Selectionimportance 3.1/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

CDI Electronics M.E.D.S.
Engine diagnostic scanners
Inventory tracking software
Outboard engine diagnostic software
Rinda Technologies DIACOM Marine

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Perseverance
Stress Tolerance
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
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

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 motorboat mechanics and service technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).