Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Also called: Marine Engineer, Marine Surveyor, Naval Architect, Naval Architect SpecialistDesign, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 17 of its 30 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 6.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.4 hires for every 10 job openings in durable goods manufacturing, which employs about 52% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $110,700 | $89,700 to $141,790 | 250 |
| District of Columbia | $172,330 | $118,640 to $172,550 | 490 |
| Florida | $130,640 | $96,580 to $167,060 | 370 |
| Georgia | $97,770 | $79,110 to $123,350 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $108,200 | $90,750 to $122,800 | 120 |
| Louisiana | not published | not published | 430 |
| Maine | $100,430 | $82,370 to $127,130 | 260 |
| Maryland | $130,150 | $103,400 to $169,760 | 300 |
| Massachusetts | $114,640 | $103,310 to $148,620 | not published |
| Michigan | $76,210 | $64,800 to $92,820 | not published |
| Mississippi | $97,060 | $69,170 to $120,220 | 70 |
| New York | $112,230 | $112,230 to $134,370 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $136,990 | $93,580 to $151,790 | 40 |
| Texas | $152,780 | $119,270 to $189,640 | 330 |
| Washington | $109,550 | $97,880 to $129,480 | 370 |
| Wisconsin | $78,850 | $67,800 to $94,810 | 80 |
Nationally: $112,230. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 17 of its 30 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Maintain contact with, and formulate reports for, contractors and clients to ensure completion of work at minimum cost. | Not published |
| AI + software | Conduct analyses of ships, such as stability, structural, weight, and vibration analyses. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare technical reports for use by engineering, management, or sales personnel. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Evaluate performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform monitoring activities to ensure that ships comply with international regulations and standards for life-saving equipment and pollution preventatives. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect marine equipment and machinery to draw up work requests and job specifications. | Not published |
See all 30 tasks
| AI alone | Prepare plans, estimates, design and construction schedules, and contract specifications, including any special provisions. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Coordinate activities with regulatory bodies to ensure repairs and alterations are at minimum cost and consistent with safety. | Not published |
| Not much | Evaluate operation of marine equipment during acceptance testing and shakedown cruises. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design complete hull and superstructure according to specifications and test data, in conformity with standards of safety, efficiency, and economy. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare, or direct the preparation of, product or system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics. | Not published |
| AI alone | Study design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of craft, such as size, weight, speed, propulsion, displacement, and draft. | Not published |
| AI alone | Conduct analytical, environmental, operational, or performance studies to develop designs for products, such as marine engines, equipment, and structures. | Not published |
| AI alone | Determine conditions under which tests are to be conducted, as well as sequences and phases of test operations. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Investigate and observe tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with standards. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design layout of craft interior, including cargo space, passenger compartments, ladder wells, and elevators. | Not published |
| Not much | Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Check, test, and maintain automatic controls and alarm systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with research personnel to clarify or resolve problems and to develop or modify designs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Establish arrangement of boiler room equipment and propulsion machinery, heating and ventilating systems, refrigeration equipment, piping, and other functional equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise other engineers and crew members and train them for routine and emergency duties. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct environmental, operational, or performance tests on marine machinery and equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Analyze data to determine feasibility of product proposals. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Oversee construction and testing of prototype in model basin and develop sectional and waterline curves of hull to establish center of gravity, ideal hull form, and buoyancy and stability data. | Not published |
| AI alone | Schedule machine overhauls and the servicing of electrical, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, and sewage systems. | Not published |
| AI alone | Review work requests and compare them with previous work completed on ships to ensure that costs are economically sound. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain and coordinate repair of marine machinery and equipment for installation on vessels. | Not published |
| AI + software | Act as liaisons between ships' captains and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets are maintained, and that ships are operated safely and efficiently. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain records of engineering department activities, including expense records and details of equipment maintenance and repairs. | Not published |
| Not much | Procure materials needed to repair marine equipment and machinery. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 4 of the 30 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 30 tasks fall under 27 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
- #15 Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies
- and 4 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Schedule operational activities | |||
| Develop research plans or methodologies | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards |
Show all 27 activities
| Direct construction or extraction activities | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Research technology designs or applications | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Plan work activities | |||
| Coordinate with others to resolve problems | |||
| Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Design structures or facilities | |||
| Coordinate regulatory compliance activities | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Design electrical or electronic systems or equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report45%
- A plan or strategy15%
- An explanation or answer6%
- A script or snippet5%
- Data or a spreadsheet4%
How they worked with Claude
63% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for marine engineers and naval architects specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,372 moves out
- 1 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 11%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 3 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 5%
- 4 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Computer Systems Analysts Very high +7.9% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 1,530 moves in
- 1 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 8%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 3 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 6%
- 4 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 5 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 5% high school
- 16% postsecondary certificate
- 11% some college
- 5% associate's
- 53% bachelor's
- 11% professional doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 19 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 6% high school
- 6% some college
- 4% associate's
- 66% bachelor's
- 12% master's
- 2% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 162 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
1 program: Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/17-2121.00