Marine Engineer: Job Description, Education & Career Prospects

Also sometimes referred to as naval architects, marine engineers are involved in the designing of maritime crafts including naval ships, oil tankers, submarines and other related seagoing crafts and equipment. The work of a marine engineer is quite diverse, owing to the wide range of crafts and floating equipment. Depending on their interest and the diverse marine engineering career possibilities, these engineers may also choose to specialize in the designing and construction of a specific kind of seagoing craft. Job opportunities for marine engineers are available both in government departments and the public sector including national defense departments, ship builders and oil companies among others.

Job Description
Job responsibilities of marine engineers may vary depending on where they choose to work and the specific requirements of employers. These engineering professionals spend most of their time in office, creating prototype models for new crafts, ships and other floating equipment. Crafts that move through water come in multiple shapes and sizes. Marine engineers' major role is to supervise the designing of these crafts and inspect the seagoing crafts and other equipment to ensure proper functioning and complete safety.

For creating prototypes for new ship design, engineers make use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software. Whether it is a submarine, roll-on-roll-off care ferry, sailboats, aircraft carriers, oil tankers or naval ships, marine engineers are formally trained to work on the designs of all these seagoing crafts. There are multiple aspects to the designing of a ship. Some of the important factors include the weight of the ship, altitude of its center of gravity, stability of the ship, steering, navigation of the vessel, propulsion etc. Engineers need to work on the all these aspects of marine crafts and put together the systems to create completely safe and stable crafts for the crew to sail.

Besides spending much of their time in office creating new craft designs, marine engineers may also work in the shipbuilding yard. Right from the stage of laying the keel to finally launching the vessel, engineers work on multiple types of constructions, plan and schedule work during the entire procedure. Managing engineers have profitable careers awaiting them.

Educational Requirement & Training
A bachelor's degree in marine engineering is the minimum requirement to obtain entry level jobs in this field. Candidates can also land jobs in this field of engineering with a degree in mechanical engineering or ocean engineering. Those who aspire to become a merchant marine engineering officer need to fulfill the licensure requirements. Apart from that, candidates need to obtain a graduate degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, or from any of the six state academies. A master's degree in marine engineering is required to have a successful career in this field. Students also need to think carefully before they decide to get enrolled in an engineering program. Do remember to go through the detailed coursework of the marine engineering degree program that you enroll into.

Career Prospects in Marine Engineering
The field of marine engineering offers diverse career possibilities. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment growth rate for these jobs are expected to grow as fast as the average of all other professions, increasing 11% from 2006 through to the year 2016. The need for these professionals will increase with the increase in the demand of sailboats, naval ships, military ships and vessels. Job positions will also arise as a large number of professionals reach their age of retirement or leave this engineering field for their own reasons.

Annual Salary
Salaries of marine engineers vary depending on the geographical location and the years of experience professionals carry. The median annual salary of most of the professionals is $84,672. A marine engineer's salary ranges between $53,534 and $120,325.