Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

Summary

Marine engineers and naval architects design and supervise the construction of ships.

Quick Facts: Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
2010 Median Pay	$79,920 per year $38.42 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Bachelor’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	None
Number of Jobs, 2010	5,900
Job Outlook, 2010-20	17% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	1,000

What Marine Engineers and Naval Architects Do

Marine engineers and naval architects design, build, and maintain ships from aircraft carriers to submarines, from sailboats to tankers. Marine engineers work on the mechanical systems, such as propulsion and steering. Naval architects work on the basic design, including the form and stability of hulls.

Work Environment

Marine engineers and naval architects held about 5,900 jobs in 2010. They typically work in offices, where they have access to computer software and other tools necessary for analyzing projects and designing solutions. Sometimes, they must go to sea on the ships to test them or maintain them.

How to Become a Marine Engineer or Naval Architect

Marine engineers and naval architects must have a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering, naval architecture, or marine systems engineering. Employers also value practical experience, so cooperative engineering programs, which provide college credit for structured job experience, are valuable.

Pay

The median annual wage of marine engineers and naval architects was $79,920 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of marine engineers and naval architects is expected to grow 17 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. The need to design ships and systems to transport energy products, such as liquefied natural gas, across the globe will help to spur employment growth for this occupation.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of marine engineers and naval architects with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about marine engineers and naval architects by contacting these additional resources.

What Marine Engineers and Naval Architects Do About this section

Marine engineers and naval architects may work directly on ships.

Marine engineers and naval architects design, build, and maintain ships from aircraft carriers to submarines, from sailboats to tankers. Marine engineers work on the mechanical systems, such as propulsion and steering. Naval architects work on the basic design, including the form and stability of hulls.

Duties

Marine engineers typically do the following:

• Prepare system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics
• Inspect marine equipment and machinery to draw up work requests and job specifications
• Conduct environmental, operational, or performance tests on marine machinery and equipment
• Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment
• Investigate and observe tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with standards
• Coordinate activities with regulatory bodies to ensure that repairs and alterations are done safely and at minimal cost
• Prepare technical reports for use by engineers, managers, or sales personnel
• Prepare cost estimates, schedules for design and construction, and contract specifications
• Maintain contact with contractors to be sure the work is being done correctly, on schedule, and within budget

The people who operate or supervise the operation of the machinery on a ship are sometimes called marine engineers, or, more frequently, ship engineers. Their work differs from that of the marine engineers in this profile. For more information on ship engineers, see the profile on water transportation occupations.

Marine engineers are increasingly putting their knowledge to work in power generation. Companies that formerly concentrated on other activities, such as papermaking, are now increasing their efforts to produce and sell electricity back to the power grid. These engineers’ skills are also useful in the oil and gas industry, including offshore drilling operations.

Naval architects typically do the following:

• Study design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of a ship, such as size, weight, and speed
• Develop sectional and waterline curves of the hull to establish the center of gravity, ideal hull form, and data on buoyancy and stability
• Design entire ship hulls and superstructures, following safety standards
• Design the layout of ships’ interiors, including passenger compartments, cargo space, ladder wells, and elevators
• Confer with marine engineers to set up the layout of boiler room equipment, heating and ventilation systems, refrigeration equipment, and propulsion machinery
• Lead teams from a variety of specialties to oversee building and testing prototypes
• Evaluate how the ship does during trials both at the dock and at sea and change the design as needed to make sure the ship meets national and international standards.

Work Environment About this section

Marine engineers and naval architects design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment.

Marine engineers and naval architects held 5,900 jobs in 2010. They typically work in offices, where they have access to computer software and other tools necessary for analyzing projects and designing solutions. Sometimes, they must go to sea on the ships to test them or maintain them.

Those working on power generation projects, such as offshore wind turbines or tidal power, work along the coast—both offshore and on land. They also sometimes work on oil rigs where they oversee repair or maintenance of systems that they may have designed.

Industries employing the greatest numbers of marine engineers and naval architects in 2010 were the following:

How to Become a Marine Engineer or Naval Architect About this section

Marine engineers must design several systems for ships and vessels that will function well together.

Marine engineers and naval architects must have a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering, naval architecture, or marine systems engineering. Employers also value practical experience, so cooperative engineering programs, which provide college credit for structured job experience, are valuable.

Education

Entry-level jobs in marine engineering and naval architecture require a bachelor's degree. Students interested in preparing for this occupation benefit from taking high school courses in mathematics, such as algebra, trigonometry, and calculus; and science, such as chemistry and physics. For aspiring naval architects, drafting courses are helpful.

Programs that lead to a bachelor's degree in engineering typically include courses in calculus, physics, and computer-aided design. Courses specific to marine engineering and naval architecture include fluid mechanics, ship hull strength, and mechanics of materials.

Programs in marine engineering, naval architecture, and marine systems engineering are accredited by ABET (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Marine engineers and naval architects must be able to give clear instructions and explain complex concepts when leading teams of professionals on projects.

Interpersonal skills. Marine engineers and naval architects meet with clients to analyze their needs for ship systems. Engineers must be able to discuss progress with clients to keep redesign options open before the project is too far along.

Math skills. Marine engineers and naval architects use the principals of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced topics in mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.

Problem-solving skills. Marine engineers must design several systems for ships that work well together. Naval architects and marine engineers are expected to solve problems for their clients. They must draw on their knowledge and experience to make effective decisions.

Teamwork. Naval architects often lead teams of diverse professionals to create a feasible design, and they must effectively use the skills that each person brings to the design process.

Licenses

Along with graduating from a bachelor’s degree program, marine engineers and naval architects usually take an exam for a mariner’s license from the U.S. Coast Guard. The first stage of the license is known as the 3rd Assistant License. With experience and further testing, a marine engineer may get a 2nd and then 1st Assistant License. The highest level of licensure is known as Chief Assistant. Higher grades of licensing are usually accompanied by higher pay and more responsibilities.

Advancement

Beginning marine engineers usually work under the supervision of experienced engineers. In larger companies, new engineers may also receive formal training in classrooms or seminars. As beginning engineers gain knowledge and experience, they move on to more difficult projects where they have greater independence to develop designs, solve problems, and make decisions.

Eventually, marine engineers may advance to become technical specialists or to supervise a team of engineers and technicians. Some may even become engineering managers or move into other managerial positions or sales work. In sales, an engineering background enables them to discuss technical aspects of certain kinds of engineering projects. Such knowledge is also useful in assisting clients in project planning, installation, and use.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of marine engineers and naval architects was $79,920 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half of the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,200, and the top 10 percent earned more than $144,350.

Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of marine engineers and naval architects in May 2010 were the following:

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of marine engineers and naval architects is expected to grow 17 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. The need to design ships and systems to transport energy products, such as liquefied natural gas, across the globe will help to spur employment growth for this occupation. Employment of marine engineers and naval architects also will be supported by the need to modify existing ships and their systems because of new emissions and pollution regulations on cargo shipping.

Marine engineers design and maintain offshore oil rigs. These workers are expected to be in demand as more companies seek and drill for oil and gas deposits in the ocean floor.

Additionally, the increase in international overseas transportation of liquefied natural gas is expected to lead to demand for marine engineers to work on ship crews, though sometimes on ships sailing under foreign flags. The adoption of new and alternative energy sources, such as offshore wind turbines and tidal power generators, will also drive demand for marine engineer and naval architects.

Demand for naval architects will likely come from the need to update fleets to meet new federal requirements for double-hulled ships for transporting oil and gas. In addition, the skills of naval architects may further be required to help design offshore rigs that drill in more inhospitable climates.

Demand for marine engineers and naval architects will also come from the desire to have cargo ships that pollute less. The technology to do this is becoming more cost-effective and the United States and other countries are focusing more on reducing pollution.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For information about general engineering education and career resources, visit

American Society for Engineering Education

Technology Student Association

For information about accredited engineering programs, visit

ABET