Ship Engineers pay in the U.S.
$111,790avg. a year
$53.75 an hour · 8,400 employed
Ship Engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $111,790 a year and a median of $109,530. Pay is highest in Hawaii ($139,700) and lowest in Michigan ($72,960).
$109,530Median pay
$53.75Average hourly
+38%Avg. pay since 2020
8,400Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for ship engineers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
170 jobs
Hawaii
$139,700
$67.17 an hour
2610 jobs
Louisiana
$132,290
$63.60 an hour
3550 jobs
New York
$126,300
$60.72 an hour
4660 jobs
Texas
$123,260
$59.26 an hour
51,260 jobs
Florida
$122,470
$58.88 an hour
650 jobs
Rhode Island
$121,160
$58.25 an hour
7150 jobs
Massachusetts
$120,690
$58.03 an hour
8210 jobs
Indiana
$118,250
$56.85 an hour
9610 jobs
California
$117,530
$56.51 an hour
10
Kentucky
$114,730
$55.16 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Ship Engineers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $96k$96k–$111k$111k–$121k$121k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $151,960 | $73.06 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,570 | $62.77 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $127,070 | $61.09 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $126,400 | $60.77 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $124,210 | $59.72 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $121,780 | $58.55 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $113,090 | $54.37 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $111,580 | $53.65 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Ship Engineers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $98,940 | $96,030 | 50 |
| Alaska | $92,380 | $88,190 | 420 |
| California | $117,530 | $97,660 | 610 |
| Connecticut | $103,180 | $119,010 | 50 |
| Florida | $122,470 | $130,480 | 1,260 |
| Hawaii | $139,700 | $131,640 | 70 |
| Illinois | $103,420 | $115,310 | 110 |
| Indiana | $118,250 | $122,190 | 210 |
| Kentucky | $114,730 | $120,550 | – |
| Louisiana | $132,290 | $103,430 | 610 |
| Maine | $77,230 | $77,160 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $120,690 | $122,720 | 150 |
| Michigan | $72,960 | $79,170 | 100 |
| Mississippi | $96,910 | $98,380 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $114,470 | $118,310 | 170 |
| New York | $126,300 | $133,640 | 550 |
| North Carolina | $75,020 | $65,010 | 90 |
| Oregon | $100,200 | $88,800 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,950 | $80,210 | 90 |
| Rhode Island | $121,160 | $119,330 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $95,810 | $97,890 | 80 |
| Texas | $123,260 | $127,810 | 660 |
| Virginia | $91,810 | $82,370 | 1,450 |
| Washington | $111,020 | $107,940 | 730 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$91,010
1,420 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$126,400
650 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$121,780
640 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$111,580
580 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$127,070
520 jobsJacksonville, FL
$124,210
450 jobsNew Orleans-Metairie, LA
$151,960
230 jobsHouma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA
$113,090
150 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do ship engineers make?
The average is $111,790 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $109,530 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $53.75, and the median is $52.66 an hour.
Which state pays ship engineers the most?
Hawaii, with an average of $139,700 a year. The best-paying metro area is New Orleans-Metairie, LA at $151,960.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $57,870 a year, and the top 10% earn over $165,490.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-5031. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.