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Ship Engineers

$87.3K Median Salary 1K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 7.7% Job Growth

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About This Career

Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.

Reported Job Titles

Barge Engineer, Engineer, Ferry Engineer, Harbor Engineer, Port Engineer, Towboat Engineer, Tug Boat Engineer, Tugboat Engineer

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Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Problem Sensitivity

Control Precision

Deductive Reasoning

Near Vision

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Written Comprehension

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Finger Dexterity

Multilimb Coordination

Perceptual Speed

Selective Attention

Extent Flexibility

Inductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Manual Dexterity

Visualization

Auditory Attention

Category Flexibility

Flexibility of Closure

Hearing Sensitivity

Reaction Time

Written Expression

Far Vision

Fluency of Ideas

Originality

Speed of Closure

Trunk Strength

Visual Color Discrimination

Knowledge

Mechanical

Administration and Management

Engineering and Technology

English Language

Transportation

Mathematics

Public Safety and Security

Skills

Critical Thinking

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Equipment Maintenance

Troubleshooting

Monitoring

Repairing

Active Listening

Complex Problem Solving

Speaking

Reading Comprehension

Equipment Selection

Judgment and Decision Making

Quality Control Analysis

Writing

Active Learning

Coordination

Systems Analysis

Time Management

Technology Skills

Data base user interface and query software

Presentation software

Facilities management software

Spreadsheet software

Helpdesk or call center software

Electronic mail software

Document management software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Customer relationship management CRM software

Enterprise application integration software

Office suite software

Operating system software

Word processing software

Project management software

Industrial control software

Tools

Punches or nail sets or drifts

Cold chisels

Tinners snips

Mallets

Screwdrivers

Water pumps

Ratchets

Welder torch

Hammers

Sledge hammer

Power chippers

Round nose pliers

Plasma cutting machine

Power sanders

Claw hammer

Cross and straight pein hammer

Flat hand file

Hacksaw

Pipe or tube cutter

Hex keys

Dial indicator or dial gauge

Multimeters

Welder gloves

Wire twister

Mobile medical services first aid kits

Depth gauges

Micrometers

Calipers

Stationary separation equipment or parts or screens

Rivet tools

Razor knives

Nut drivers

Sump pumps

Pullers

Socket attachments and accessories

Electric boilers

Evaporative coolers

Socket sets

Power drills

Allen wrench

Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe

Diesel engines

Gas generators

Condensing units

Sockets

Power grinders

Goggles

Diagonal cut pliers

Inspection mirror

Longnose pliers

Jigsaw

Strain gauges

Box end wrenches

Taps

Turbine engines

Shears

Open end wrenches

Ball peen hammer

Flat nose pliers

Commercial water heaters

Adjustable widemouth pliers

Wire brushes

End cut pliers

Rubber mallet

Fire suppression system

Curved nose pliers

Power flaring tool

Combination pliers

Sludge or sewage removal equipment

Fuel pumps

Welding masks

Combination wrenches

Torque wrenches

Slip joint pliers

Feeler gauges

Strap wrenches

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

Knowledge

Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Equipment Selection: Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Facilities management software: Maintenance management software
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Helpdesk or call center software: Help desk software
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Customer relationship management CRM software: Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Microsoft Dynamics; Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
Enterprise application integration software: Electronic Data Interchange EDI systems
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional

Tools

Punches or nail sets or drifts: Mini punch sets
Cold chisels: Flat cold chisels
Tinners snips: Compound snips; Snips; Straight snips; Tin snips
Mallets: Rawhide mallets
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Water pumps:
Ratchets: Ratchet sets
Welder torch: Plasma arc cutting torches
Hammers:
Sledge hammer: Steel sledge hammers
Power chippers: Wood chippers
Round nose pliers:
Plasma cutting machine: Track burning machines
Power sanders: Power hand sanders
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Cross and straight pein hammer: Chasing hammers
Flat hand file: Flat files
Hacksaw: Hacksaws
Pipe or tube cutter: Flange facing machines
Hex keys: Allen wrenches; Hex wrenches
Dial indicator or dial gauge: Dial indicators
Multimeters:
Welder gloves: Welding gloves
Wire twister: Safety wire pliers; Twisting pliers
Mobile medical services first aid kits: Emergency first aid kits
Depth gauges: Underwater depth gauges
Micrometers:
Calipers: Dial calipers; Digital calipers; Vernier calipers
Stationary separation equipment or parts or screens: Oily water separation systems
Rivet tools: Rivet setters
Razor knives: Trim knives
Nut drivers: Magnetic nut drivers; T handle nut drivers
Sump pumps: Discharger pumps
Pullers: Comealongs
Socket attachments and accessories: Socket adapters; Socket extensions
Electric boilers:
Evaporative coolers: Cooling towers
Socket sets: Socket wrench sets
Power drills: Hand drills
Allen wrench: Allen wrench sets
Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe: Lathes
Diesel engines: Rig diesel engines
Gas generators: Power generators
Condensing units: Condensers; Steam condensers
Sockets: Socket wrenches
Power grinders: Underwater power grinders
Goggles: Safety goggles
Diagonal cut pliers: Diagonal cutters
Inspection mirror: Small mirror tools
Longnose pliers:
Jigsaw: Variable speed jigsaws
Strain gauges:
Box end wrenches:
Taps: Metal cutting taps
Turbine engines: Power production turbines
Shears: Metal shears
Open end wrenches: Adjustable open end wrenches
Ball peen hammer: Ball peen hammers
Flat nose pliers: Duck bill pliers; Jaw pliers; Long flat nose pliers
Commercial water heaters: Water heaters
Adjustable widemouth pliers: Oil filter pliers
Wire brushes: Wire cleaning brushes
End cut pliers: End cutting pliers
Rubber mallet: Rubber mallets
Fire suppression system: Carbon dioxide CO2 firefighting systems; Foam firefighting systems
Curved nose pliers:
Power flaring tool: Flaring tools
Combination pliers:
Sludge or sewage removal equipment: Scum ejectors
Fuel pumps: Gas pumps
Welding masks: Welding hoods
Combination wrenches: Adjustable combination wrenches
Torque wrenches: Hydraulic torque wrenches
Slip joint pliers:
Feeler gauges: Angled feeler gauges
Strap wrenches: Rubber strap wrenches

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