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Marine Maintenance

Marine Maintenance

Types of Degrees Marine Maintenance Majors Are Earning

Those studying Marine Maintenance may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level Graduates
Certificate 546
Associate’s Degree 126
Master’s Degree 127

What Marine Maintenance Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Marine Maintenance emphasizes the following knowledge areas: Knowledge areas for Marine Maintenance majors

  • Mechanical — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.3 / 7.
  • Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
  • Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
  • English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
  • Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Marine Maintenance program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations: Skills for Marine Maintenance majors

  • Repairing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
  • Equipment Maintenance — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
  • Troubleshooting — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
  • Operation and Control — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
  • Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Marine Maintenance careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations: Abilities for Marine Maintenance majors

  • Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3 / 7.
  • Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3 / 7.
  • Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
  • Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity Frequency / Importance
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment 4.1 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects 4.1 / 7
Getting Information 4.0 / 7
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment 4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge 4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems 3.9 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities 3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events 3.8 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials 3.7 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes 3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Marine Maintenance professionals:

Tool / Software Category In-Demand
Rinda Technologies DIACOM Marine Analytical or scientific software
Facebook Web page creation and editing software
Outboard engine diagnostic software Analytical or scientific software
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation software
Microsoft Office software Office suite software
CDI Electronics M.E.D.S. Analytical or scientific software
Microsoft Word Word processing software
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software
Engine diagnostic scanners Analytical or scientific software
Inventory tracking software Inventory management software

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Marine Maintenance graduates include:

  • Boat Outboard Engine Mechanic
  • Boat Rigger
  • Certified Marine Mechanic
  • Service Technician
  • Boat Motor Mechanic
  • Boat Tester
  • Experimental Outboard Motors Mechanic
  • Outboard Motor Mechanic
  • Marine Service Technician (Marine Service Tech)
  • Marine Propulsion Technician
  • Marine Technician
  • Marine Diesel Mechanic
  • Mechanic
  • Marine Mechanic
  • Boat Mechanic

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate 53.7%
High school diploma or equivalent 23.6%
Some college courses 11.5%
Less than a high school diploma 6.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) 4.5%
Education levels for Marine Maintenance majors

Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*

Who Is Earning a Degree in Marine Maintenance?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 94.7% of Marine Maintenance degrees.

Gender Graduates Share
Women 42 5.3%
Men 757 94.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Racial-ethnic diversity of Marine Maintenance graduates
Race / Ethnicity Graduates Share
White 497 62.2%
Asian 3 0.4%
Hispanic or Latino 195 24.4%
Black or African American 30 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2 0.3%
Two or More Races 32 4.0%
Race Unknown 25 3.1%
International Students 9 1.1%

See minority definition below.

How Much Do Marine Maintenance Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Marine Maintenance 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 $37,744
4 years $43,612
5 years $49,558

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,558 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Marine Maintenance Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Marine Maintenance graduates earn a median of $43,612 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

4-year median earnings vs national baseline for Marine Maintenance

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.

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

Program CIP Code
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General 47.06
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician 47.0608
Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician 47.0607
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician 47.0614
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician 47.0603
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician 47.0604
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician 47.0609
Bicycle Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician 47.0610
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician 47.0605
Engine Machinist 47.0615
High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic 47.0617
Medium/Heavy Vehicle and Truck Technology/Technician 47.0613

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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