Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Mathematics
Key knowledge
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
- Design
- English Language
- Transportation
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Building and Construction
What the work involves
- Design complete hull and superstructure according to specifications and test data, in conformity with standards of safety, efficiency, and economy.
- Study design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of craft, such as size, weight, speed, propulsion, displacement, and draft.
- Perform monitoring activities to ensure that ships comply with international regulations and standards for life-saving equipment and pollution preventatives.
- Evaluate performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards.
- Prepare plans, estimates, design and construction schedules, and contract specifications, including any special provisions.
- Check, test, and maintain automatic controls and alarm systems.
- Design layout of craft interior, including cargo space, passenger compartments, ladder wells, and elevators.
- Evaluate operation of marine equipment during acceptance testing and shakedown cruises.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (52.6% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (31.6%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (36.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 78% of occupations compared | 53% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Moderate | Lower on dealing with the public than 55% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 84% of occupations compared | 53% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 77% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Low | Lower on time pressure than 65% of occupations compared | 72% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 82% of occupations compared | 71% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 89% of occupations compared | 76% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 79% of occupations compared | 47% of surveyed respondents chose “Very serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: low
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 10.53%
- Contact with others about half the time: 10.53%
- Contact with others most of the time: 52.63%
- Constant contact with others: 26.32%
n = 19, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 11.11%
- Fairly important: 16.67%
- Important: 22.22%
- Very important: 33.33%
- Extremely important: 16.67%
n = 18, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 11.76%
- Fairly important: 5.88%
- Important: 5.88%
- Very important: 52.94%
- Extremely important: 23.53%
n = 17, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 5.56%
- Very little freedom: 5.56%
- Limited freedom: 22.22%
- Some freedom: 38.89%
- A lot of freedom: 27.78%
n = 18, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 5.56%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 22.22%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 72.22%
- Every day: 0%
n = 18, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Conflict situations
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 70.59%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 23.53%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 5.88%
- Every day: 0%
n = 17, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 5.88%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 76.47%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 17.65%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0%
- Every day: 0%
n = 17, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 0%
- Fairly serious: 11.76%
- Serious: 23.53%
- Very serious: 47.06%
- Extremely serious: 17.65%
n = 17, Occupational Expert 08/2025
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O*NET-SOC 17-2121.00 · SOC 17-2121 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8