Headline risk
4%
Very Low RiskShip engineers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 101,320
Employment 2024
8.8K
Projected Change (2024–34)
1.6%
Openings (2024–34)
1.1K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of water transportation workers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff. AI use: 0%
- 2. Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified. AI use: 0%
- 3. Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed. AI use: 0%
- 4. Perform or participate in emergency drills, as required. AI use: 0%
- 5. Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks. AI use: 0%
- 6. Maintain complete records of engineering department activities, including machine operations. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 41.3 · 525K employed
Under 25: 9% · 25–54: 70% · 55+: 21%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
crosswalk_exact · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Water transportation workers operate and maintain vessels that take cargo and people over water.
Most water transportation workers are full time, and many work more than 40 hours per week. Schedules vary and may require workers to spend long periods away from home. These workers may be exposed to all kinds of weather.
Education and training requirements for water transportation workers vary by occupation. There are no educational requirements for entry-level sailors and marine oilers, but other water transportation workers typically complete U.S. Coast Guard-approved training programs.
The median annual wage for water transportation workers was $66,490 in May 2024.
Overall employment of water transportation workers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.