Marine Engineers

Employers

Approximately 11,700 marine engineers and naval architects are employed in the United States. Marine engineers work for government agencies and departments (such as the U.S. Navy; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Marine Corps; U.S. Merchant Marine, and U.S. Army), defense contractors, private contractors that build water vessels and infrastructure, petroleum companies, firms that do oceanography research, and consulting firms. Some marine engineers work as private consultants and college professors. Many employers are located near coastal areas, although opportunities can be found throughout the country. States with the highest number of marine engineers (in descending order) are Virginia, Texas, Maryland, Washington, and Massachusetts.

Starting Out

Many marine engineers obtain their first jobs as a result of contacts made through college internships. Others find job leads from networking events, college career services offices, employment Web sites, and newspaper want ads. Additionally, professional associations, such as the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers provide job listings on their Web sites. Those who want to work for the federal government should visit the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Web site, https://www.usajobs.gov.