Ship Engineers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for ship engineers in the U.S. is $109,530 ($52.66 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $109,530
- Mean annual wage
- $111,790
- Median hourly wage
- $52.66
- Employment
- 8,400
8,400 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $57,870 | $27.82 |
| 25th percentile | $82,130 | $39.49 |
| Median (50th) | $109,530 | $52.66 |
| 75th percentile | $135,760 | $65.27 |
| 90th percentile | $165,490 | $79.56 |
Highest-paying states for ship engineers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $133,640 | 550 |
| Hawaii | $131,640 | 70 |
| Florida | $130,480 | 1,260 |
| Texas | $127,810 | 660 |
| Massachusetts | $122,720 | 150 |
| Indiana | $122,190 | 210 |
| Kentucky | $120,550 | — |
| Rhode Island | $119,330 | 50 |
| Connecticut | $119,010 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $118,310 | 170 |
Lowest-paying states
- North Carolina: $65,010 median annual wage
- Maine: $77,160 median annual wage
- Michigan: $79,170 median annual wage
- Pennsylvania: $80,210 median annual wage
- Virginia: $82,370 median annual wage
About this occupation
Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.
Typical tasks
- Order and receive engine room stores, such as oil or spare parts, maintain inventories, and record usage of supplies.
- Fabricate engine replacement parts, such as valves, stay rods, or bolts, using metalworking machinery.
- Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks.
- Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed.
- Maintain electrical power, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, or sewerage systems.
- Act as a liaison between a ship's captain and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets are maintained and that the ship is operated safely and efficiently.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Postsecondary certificate
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 10.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 36.8% |
| Some college, no degree | 25.8% |
| Associate's degree | 9.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.3% |
| Master's degree | 2.3% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.