---

Marine Engineering

Types of Degrees Marine Engineering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Marine Engineering have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	10
Bachelor’s Degree	368
Master’s Degree	62
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Marine Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in Marine Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Marine Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Marine Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Marine Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Marine Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Marine Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Marine Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
PTC Creo Parametric	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Marine Engineering graduates include:

• Manufacturing Engineering Professor
• Civil Engineering Professor
• Automotive Engineering Teacher
• Highway Engineering Teacher
• Design Teacher
• Plastics Engineering Teacher
• Sanitary Engineering Teacher
• Electronics Engineering Professor
• College Professor
• Drafting Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• Agricultural Engineering Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Professor
• Aeronautical Engineering Teacher
• Aeronautical Engineering Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Marine Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	36.2%
Bachelor’s degree	20.9%
Post-master’s certificate	11.6%
Master’s degree	10.9%
Post-doctoral training	10.9%
Postsecondary certificate	2.7%
First professional degree	2.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.8%
Some college courses	1.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Marine Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 87% of Marine Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	58	13.0%
Men	387	87.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Marine Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	348	78.2%
Asian	18	4.0%
Hispanic or Latino	30	6.7%
Black or African American	4	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	21	4.7%
Race Unknown	9	2.0%
International Students	13	2.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Marine Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Marine Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$97,198
4 years	$108,264
5 years	$116,295

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $116,295 — roughly 20% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Marine Engineering Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Marine Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Marine Engineering Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Marine Engineering graduates earn a median of $108,264 four years after completion — roughly 185% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Engineering	14
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	14.02
Agricultural Engineering	14.03
Architectural Engineering	14.04
Biochemical Engineering	14.43
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.45
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	14.05
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.06
Chemical Engineering	14.07
Civil Engineering	14.08
Computer Engineering	14.09
Construction Engineering	14.33

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.