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The national median salary for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects is $105,664 per year ($50.80/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $88,483 and $133,786 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $167,669 per year. There are approximately 8,440 marine engineers and naval architects employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+5.8%
Faster than average
Annual openings
600
per year, on avg
Workforce today
9K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
8% from new growth92% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Ship and Boat Building
NAICS 336600
4K
$101,820
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
2K
$110,800
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
1K
$124,090
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
NAICS 541900
190
$108,530
Support Activities for Water Transportation
NAICS 488300
180
$89,700
Wage range across top 5 industries: $89,700 to $124,090 (38% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$38.32
$79,706
P25
$42.54
$88,483
P50MEDIAN
$50.80
$105,664
P75
$64.32
$133,786
P90
$80.61
$167,669
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average marine engineers and naval architects salary?
The national median salary for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects is $105,664 per year ($50.80/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $88,483 and $133,786 annually.
How much do top-earning marine engineers and naval architects make?
The 90th percentile salary for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects is $167,669 per year ($80.61/hr). The 75th percentile is $133,786 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for marine engineers and naval architects?
Entry-level Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (10th percentile) earn approximately $79,706 per year ($38.32/hr). The 25th percentile is $88,483 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.