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Manufacturing

Marine engineering technician

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

Annual Salary

£24,000 to £43,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

40 to 42 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home

0.5%
Future employment

There will be 0.5% more Marine engineering technician jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

As a marine engineering technician, you could:

  • diagnose faults and repair equipment on a ship
  • help design and develop new marine equipment
  • refurbish older ships with new navigation and communications systems
  • use remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) to inspect undersea pipelines
  • maintain weapons systems, radar and sonar on board Royal Navy warships

Working environment

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

You could work in an office, at a shipyard, at a port, on a ship or underwater.

Your working environment may be physically demanding, outdoors in all weathers and you may spend nights away from home.

You can get into this job through:

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

You could do a foundation degree in marine engineering or marine technology.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
For more information
College

You could take a course to get some of the skills you need.

Relevant courses include:

  • Level 2 Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
  • Level 2 Diploma in Fabrication and Welding Engineering Technology
  • Level 3 Diploma in Marine Engineering
  • Level 3 Diploma in Marine Construction, Systems Engineering and Maintenance
  • T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
For more information
Apprenticeship

To become a marine engineering technician, you could do a Marine Engineer Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
For more information
Work

You could train as a marine engineering technician with the Merchant Navy or Royal Navy.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • You'll need IT skills and a knowledge of computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM).

More information

Further information

You can find more advice about careers in marine engineering from the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and British Marine.

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With experience, you could become a manager, looking after a team of technicians or overseeing projects.

You could also specialise in a particular area, such as:boat design; specialist equipment; sales and support; marine insurance

You can find more advice about careers in marine engineering from the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and British Marine.


Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • maths knowledge
  • complex problem-solving skills
  • knowledge of engineering science and technology
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • knowledge of physics
  • design skills and knowledge
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
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