Ship Engineers
Also called: Engineer, Ferry Engineer, Port Engineer, Tug Boat EngineerSupervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 5 of its 17 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 2.7% 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
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 70% 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.9.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $96,030 | $95,540 to $101,320 | 50 |
| Alaska | $88,190 | $59,310 to $111,610 | 420 |
| California | $97,660 | $84,620 to $157,070 | 610 |
| Connecticut | $119,010 | $53,690 to $130,350 | 50 |
| Florida | $130,480 | $103,090 to $147,220 | 1,260 |
| Hawaii | $131,640 | $105,660 to $165,260 | 70 |
| Illinois | $115,310 | $77,770 to $123,300 | 110 |
| Indiana | $122,190 | $99,060 to $139,050 | 210 |
| Kentucky | $120,550 | $116,330 to $121,270 | not published |
| Louisiana | $103,430 | $78,120 to $190,890 | 610 |
| Maine | $77,160 | $60,280 to $91,890 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $122,720 | $102,020 to $150,800 | 150 |
| Michigan | $79,170 | $52,550 to $90,330 | 100 |
| Mississippi | $98,380 | $78,790 to $101,620 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $118,310 | $90,920 to $119,540 | 170 |
| New York | $133,640 | $106,660 to $151,240 | 550 |
| North Carolina | $65,010 | $62,640 to $85,850 | 90 |
| Oregon | $88,800 | $87,820 to $113,530 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,210 | $73,550 to $99,540 | 90 |
| Puerto Rico | $40,080 | $38,800 to $40,080 | not published |
| Rhode Island | $119,330 | $95,950 to $139,360 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $97,890 | $80,700 to $105,590 | 80 |
| Texas | $127,810 | $103,930 to $132,740 | 660 |
| Virginia | $82,370 | $56,700 to $117,140 | 1,450 |
| Washington | $107,940 | $82,520 to $135,400 | 730 |
Nationally: $109,530. 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 5 of its 17 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform or participate in emergency drills, as required. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain complete records of engineering department activities, including machine operations. | Not published |
See all 17 tasks
| Not much | Start engines to propel ships, and regulate engines and power transmissions to control speeds of ships, according to directions from captains or bridge computers. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain or repair engines, electric motors, pumps, winches, or other mechanical or electrical equipment, or assist other crew members with maintenance or repair duties. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean engine parts and keep engine rooms clean. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain electrical power, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, or sewerage systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate or maintain off-loading liquid pumps or valves. | Not published |
| AI + software | Order and receive engine room stores, such as oil or spare parts, maintain inventories, and record usage of supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise marine engine technicians engaged in the maintenance or repair of mechanical or electrical marine vessels, and inspect their work to ensure that it is performed properly. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record orders for changes in ship speed or direction, and note gauge readings or test data, such as revolutions per minute or voltage output, in engineering logs or bellbooks. | Not published |
| Not much | Install engine controls, propeller shafts, or propellers. | Not published |
| AI + software | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Fabricate engine replacement parts, such as valves, stay rods, or bolts, using metalworking 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. 0 of the 17 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 17 tasks fall under 14 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.
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Assemble equipment or components |
Show all 14 activities
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Monitor resources or inventories | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Direct security or safety activities or operations | |||
| Operate pumping systems or equipment |
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 ship engineers 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 552 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 34%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 13%
- 3 Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other Moderate -7.1% 4%
- 4 Transportation Security Screeners Moderate -4.2% 3%
- 5 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 478 moves in
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 20%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 9%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Very high +0.1% 7%
- 4 Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other Moderate -7.1% 3%
- 5 Marketing Managers Very high +6.9% 3%
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
- 3% less than high school
- 48% high school
- 24% postsecondary certificate
- 6% some college
- 8% bachelor's
- 11% post-bachelor's certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 17 people answered.
1 program: Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer.
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
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch (OICEW)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Ship Engineers” there.
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
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