Annual Salary
£25,000 to £55,000
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Merchant Navy engineering officers maintain the mechanical and electrical machinery and instruments on board a ship.
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home
There will be
2.9% more Merchant Navy engineering officer jobs in 2027.
As a Merchant Navy engineering officer, you'll:
As you move up through the ranks to a senior engineering post, you'll also supervise a team of engineers.
You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.
You could work on a ship.
Your working environment may be cramped, at height, outdoors in all weathers and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You can enter the Merchant Navy as an engine room rating. You will do a Maritime Mechanical and Electrical Mechanic Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
This normally takes around 2 years to complete.
You'll find shipping companies that offer engine room rating apprenticeships from Careers at Sea.
You can apply for funding to take further training to qualify as an engineering officer after completing your apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You can apply to sponsoring shipping or engineering companies to train as an engineering officer.
You'll start on a marine engineering cadetship, which combines classroom study with training at sea. You would work towards a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in marine or mechanical engineering.
Your training will also include the Certificate of Competency, which you need to work at sea.
Your teaching and living costs will be funded through a bursary and while you're on placement at sea you'll get paid.
You'll normally need:
If you've worked as a mechanical engineer elsewhere, for example in the fishing industry or the Royal Navy, you may be exempt from some of the training to become an engineer. You'll still need to find a company to sponsor you.
You'll need to:
You can find out more about becoming a Merchant Navy engineering officer from Careers At Sea and Merchant Navy Training Board.
With experience and further training, you could work your way up to third then second engineer before taking on the role of chief engineer.
You could also work towards chartered engineer status through professional development with the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST).
You might join the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as an engineering officer.
If you decide to work onshore you could move into:marine engineering design; naval architecture; ship and boatyard management; research
You'll need: