Marine Engineering
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Types of Degrees Marine Engineering Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many marine engineering graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 426 |
Master’s Degree | 41 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 7 |
Doctor’s Degree | 6 |
Graduate Certificate | 1 |
What Marine Engineering Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to marine engineering and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Marine Engineering Majors
Marine Engineering majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Skills for Marine Engineering Majors
When studying marine engineering, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for Marine Engineering Majors
Marine Engineering majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Marine Engineering Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with marine engineering:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Marine Architects | 12.2% | $92,560 |
Marine Engineers | 12.2% | $92,560 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Engineering?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of marine engineering majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 15 |
Black or African American | 5 |
Hispanic or Latino | 22 |
White | 344 |
International Students | 8 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 32 |
Geographic Diversity
Marine Engineering appeals to people across the globe. About 1.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- India
- United Arab Emirates
- Mexico
- South Korea
How Much Do Marine Engineering Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
According to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering have a median salary of $78,200 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $69,100 (25th percentile) and $86,900 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to marine engineering so take that into consideration.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $98,970 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to marine engineering. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Marine Engineering
Some degrees associated with marine engineering may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for marine engineering careers below.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 0.5% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 3.9% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 3.0% |
Some College Courses | 1.8% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 1.0% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 47.8% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 3.8% |
Master’s Degree | 15.8% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 2.6% |
Doctoral Degree | 17.8% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 2.6% |
Online Marine Engineering Programs
In the 2018-2019 academic year, 14 schools offered some type of marine engineering program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 1 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 2 | 1 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 3 | 2 |
Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 1 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Marine Engineering Worth It?
The median salary for a marine engineering grad is $113,680 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 185% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,475,600 after 20 years!

Top Ranking Lists for Marine Engineering
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Majors Related to Marine Engineering
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to marine engineering.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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