High Starting Salary, High Demand – Marine Engineering in the Oil and Gas Industry

• Tweet

• Tweet

Marine engineers design, test and maintain the mechanical systems of ships and off-shore oil rigs. They often oversee the entire engineering process, from conception to completion, and oversee the staff the build the equipment. Along with designing and building systems, they prepare technical reports, cost estimates and ensure engineering projects are being completed on-time, correctly and within budget. In the oil and gas industry, marine engineering jobs will be in high demand to design and maintain off-shore oil rigs, as companies continue to seek for new locations to drill for oil on ocean floor.

Education

Marine engineers are required to have a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering or a related discipline, such as architecture or systems engineering. Employers often prefer marine engineers who graduate from a program accredited by ABET. Coursework includes subjects related to math, information technology, fluid mechanics and the mechanics of materials. Many educational programs include practical field experience, which employers prefer.

Average Starting Salaries

Across all industries, the average starting salary for marine engineers is $56,800 per year or $27.31 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average salary is $94,040 per year or $45.21 per hour. Engineers continue to increase their salary as they gain professional experience.

Starting Salaries in the Oil and Gas Industry

The average starting salary in the oil and gas industry is about $63,320 per year or $30.44 per hour, according to the Bureau. This is about 10 percent higher than all industries combined. The average salary is $119,430 per year or $57.42 per hour. The average salary for marine engineers is approximately 21 percent higher than all industries combined. With experience, marine engineers in the oil and gas industry increase their salary must faster than all other industries combined. The highest wages were approximately $149,490 per year or $72 per hour.

The Industry

The oil and gas industry is a niche job market in the United States, with only about 80 marine engineers employed in the industry in 2013. Most marine engineers work in states that line the coastlines, such as Washington, California, Texas, Hawaii, states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico and the far east coast. The highest average wages, over $94,000 per year, were paid in California, Texas, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and New Jersey. The highest concentration of jobs were in metropolitan areas including Houston, Texas, Seattle, Washington, Virginia Beach, Virginia and Washington, D.C.