Marine engineering technician

Marine engineering technicians build, service and repair boats, ships and submarines.


Typical Salary

£24,000 – £43,000

per year

Working Hours

40–42

hours per week

Career Area

Ship and hovercraft officers

View related courses

Day-to-day tasks

As a marine engineering technician, you could:

  • install and fit out sea-going craft, like boats, yachts and ships
  •  service and repair electrical and mechanical systems and machinery
  •  inspect and test instruments and safety equipment
  •  use remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) for undersea work on pipelines and cables
  •  maintain weapons systems, radar and sonar on board Royal Navy warships and submarines

Skills needed

  • knowledge of engineering science and technology
  • maths knowledge
  • complex problem-solving skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • knowledge of physics
  • the ability to work well with others
  • design skills and knowledge
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Entry requirements

You'll usually need a knowledge of computer-aided design (CAD).

How to get into this role

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

Career progression

With experience, you could become a supervisor or project manager. You could also qualify as a marine engineer after further training.

As your career goes on you may wish to specialise in a particular area, such as:

  • boat refurbishment and conversions
  •  underwater work on rigs and pipelines
  •  maritime equipment and boat sales
  •  marine salvage and insurance