Marine Engineers and Naval Architects Salary: $123,189 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 8,440 marine engineers and naval architects nationally earn a mean of $123,189. Employment in the series shown fell about 23% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.4% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects: what the data shows
Common questions about marine engineers and naval architects careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a marine engineers and naval architects?
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 17-2121.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 8,440 workers.
What does a marine engineers and naval architects do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment, Working with Computers, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a marine engineers and naval architects make?
BLS national median annual wage: $105,670 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $123,189 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $65,637 |
| 25th percentile | $93,370 |
| Median (50th) | $132,249 |
| 75th percentile | $152,690 |
| 90th percentile | $171,724 |
What education do you need?
For Marine Engineers and Naval Architects, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Design, Physics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is marine engineers and naval architects in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 6.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 14.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 8,440.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do marine engineers and naval architectss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 8,440 | 19.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 7,310 | 16.5% |
| Manufacturing | 4,430 | 10.0% |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 4,410 | 10.0% |
| Ship and Boat Building | 4,400 | 9.9% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,290 | 5.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Database Architects | 64,770 | $135,980 |
| Landscape Architects | 19,580 | $79,660 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Marine Engineers and Naval Architects workforce.
Employment Over Time
8,440 Workforce in 2023
The Marine Engineers and Naval Architects workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$123,189 Average Wage
In 2023, Marine Engineers and Naval Architects earned an average of $123,189.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Salary distribution for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Employment Growth Projections
1.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
748 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 6.9%
800 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 14.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Marine Engineers and Naval Architects and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Marine Engineers and Naval Architects employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Wage Trends by Industry
-15.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -10.5% growth (Current: $138,630)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 150 employees, $125,478 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 80 employees, $124,217 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 50 employees, $138,630 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 20 employees, $97,639 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Diversity
Demographic information on Marine Engineers and Naval Architects in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Marine Engineers and Naval Architects in 2023 was 8,440 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Marine Engineers and Naval Architects in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Mathematics.
Common majors for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Marine Engineers and Naval Architects workers.
Education level distribution for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Skills
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects include Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Design, Physics, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects include Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
Daily Activities
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment, Working with Computers.
Most important work activities for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.
About
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
The average yearly wage for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects was $123,189 in 2023.
SOC Code
17-2121 - Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Marine Engineers and Naval Architects reports an average salary of $123,189, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,440 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.