Marine Engineering

Types of Degrees Marine Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many marine engineering graduations there were in 2017-2018 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	453
Master’s Degree	35
Doctor’s Degree	7
Undergraduate Certificate	6
Graduate Certificate	5

What Marine Engineering Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to marine engineering were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Marine Engineering Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these 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

A major in marine engineering prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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

As you progress with your marine engineering degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• 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?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 453 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering in 2018, making it rank #205 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 87% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of marine engineering majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	12
Black or African American	6
Hispanic or Latino	21
White	384
International Students	7
Other Races/Ethnicities	23

Geographic Diversity

Marine Engineering appeals to people across the globe. About 1.5% 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

The median early-career salary of marine engineering students with a bachelor’s degree is $78,200 a year according to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $69,100 (25th percentile) and $86,900 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to marine engineering.

Salaries According to BLS

Marine Engineering majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $98,970 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile). 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 careers associated with marine engineering require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to marine engineering have obtained the following education levels.

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 2017-2018, 15 schools offered a marine engineering program of some type. 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	3	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!

Majors Related to Marine Engineering

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to marine engineering.

Major	Number of Grads
Mechanical Engineering	46,014
Electrical Engineering	31,993
Civil Engineering	21,299
Computer Engineering	15,329
Chemical Engineering	14,729
Biomedical Engineering	11,483
General Engineering	11,245
Industrial Engineering	9,714
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering	6,315
Materials Engineering	3,555
Systems Engineering	3,439
Other Engineering	2,900
Petroleum Engineering	2,818
Environmental Engineering	2,746
Operations Research	1,555
Agricultural Engineering	1,546
Engineering Science	1,509
Nuclear Engineering	1,050
Engineering Physics	1,028
Manufacturing Engineering	920
Architectural Engineering	874
Construction Engineering	870
Robotics Engineering	755
Geoscience Engineering	510
Mining Engineering	434
Biological Engineering	400
Textile Engineering	359
Polymer & Plastics Engineering	348
Engineering Mechanics	329
Ocean Engineering	305
Metallurgical Engineering	218
Biochemical Engineering	124
Ceramic Engineering	111
Electromechanical Engineering	84
Surveying Engineering	73
Paper Science & Engineering	51
Forest Engineering	39
Engineering Chemistry	5

References

• 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
• Image Credit: By U.S. Navy under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.