Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
8,250 people do this job in the US. $112,230 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 70%
- 4%
- 25%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 3%. Today's estimate: 4%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 30 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design complete hull and superstructure according to specifications and test data, in conformity with standards of safety, efficiency, and economy.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 13% | 4.2 work weeks4.2 work days to 3.2 work months | 0%Half by Apr 2030 | |
| Conduct analytical, environmental, operational, or performance studies to develop designs for products, such as marine engines, equipment, and structures.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 12% | 4.2 work days1.7 work days to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Nov 2028 | |
| Design layout of craft interior, including cargo space, passenger compartments, ladder wells, and elevators.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 11% | 4.2 work days1 work day to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Feb 2029 | |
| Conduct analyses of ships, such as stability, structural, weight, and vibration analyses.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 7% | 2.1 work days6.7 h to 2.1 work weeks | 1%Half by Jun 2028 | |
| Establish arrangement of boiler room equipment and propulsion machinery, heating and ventilating systems, refrigeration equipment, piping, and other functional equipment.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 1 work week1 work day to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Mar 2029 | |
| Prepare plans, estimates, design and construction schedules, and contract specifications, including any special provisions.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 4% | 2.1 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Apr 2028 | |
| Oversee construction and testing of prototype in model basin and develop sectional and waterline curves of hull to establish center of gravity, ideal hull form, and buoyancy and stability data.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 work weeks3.1 work days to 2.5 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Prepare, or direct the preparation of, product or system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1 work week | Stays with people | |
| Prepare technical reports for use by engineering, management, or sales personnel.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 6.7 h2.5 h to 2.1 work days | 10%Half by Jun 2027 | |
| Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 2.1 work days5 h to 2.1 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Study design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of craft, such as size, weight, speed, propulsion, displacement, and draft.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 6.7 h3.3 h to 3.1 work days | 10%Half by Jul 2027 | |
| Evaluate performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1.3 work weeks | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Ship Engineers9% now, 10% by 2028
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians4% now, 17% by 2028
- Aerospace Engineers5% now, 55% by 2028
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians16% now, 49% by 2028
- Mechanical Engineers7% now, 56% by 2028
- Industrial Engineers16% now, 94% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).