Marine Engineers are involved in designing, developing, inspecting and maintaining propulsion systems, engines, pumps etc to make the ship or any other maritime vessel function effectively.
Diploma in Marine Engineering, BTech in Marine Engineering, MTech in Marine Engineering, GME etc are some of the courses that can be opted to become a Marine Engineer.
The International Maritime Institute, Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies, TMU Pune, IMU Kolkata etc offer UG & PG Courses on Marine Engineering. The average fee for the courses ranges between INR 50,000 to 10,00,000 per annum.
Marine Engineers are recruited in big companies such as SMEC Automation, American Cruise Lines, GE Shipping, TMC Shipping, ITT Shipping and many more. The average salary ranges around INR 11,00,000 per annum.
Table of Content
- How to Become a Marine Engineer Quick facts
- What does a Marine Engineer do
- Steps to Become a Marine Engineer
- Types of Marine Engineer
- How to Become a Marine Engineer in India
5.1 How to Become a Marine Engineer after 12th
5.1.1 UG Preparation
5.1.2 PG Preparation
6.1 GME
7.1 UK
7.2 USA
7.3 Canada
7.4 Australia
- Benefits of a Marine Engineer
- Skills required to Become a Marine Engineer
- How to Become a Marine Engineer Salary
10.2 Specialization wise
10.3 Gender wise
10.4 Experience wise
How to Become a Marine Engineer: Quick Facts
| Industry | Marine Industry |
| Eligibility | They need a Diploma/ Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent coursework in Marine Engineering. |
| Average Starting Salary | Average Starting salary is INR 11,00,000 per annum |
| Job Opportunity | Chief Engineer, Navy Personnel, Chief Electric Technical Officer, Design Engineer, Maintenance Engineer, Marine Surveyor, Ship Manager, Port Manager |
What does a Marine Engineer do?
There are various tasks of Marine Engineers which are given as follows:
- They are responsible for the designing of water vehicles such as ships, submarines, and boats.
- They have to do maintenance for all the water vehicles.
- They have to construct the best structures which can be used in the vehicles.
- They have to keep maintaining the works or machinery that is being kept in the structures such as steam turbines, gas turbines, engine rooms and many more.
- They have to work as a bridge between a ship leader and its crew members so that the efficiency would be increased.
- They have to make sure that the vehicles are safe for use and would not cause any damage to humans or other resources.
- They are responsible for supervising and monitoring the crew members, mechanics, and other engineers.
- They have to keep things ready for use such as Generation of electricity, power, gas, and oil industries.
- They can see all the things by which they can produce electricity by various methods such as tidal power generators.
- They have to create various types of machines which can do military intelligence operations, gathering resources, water conservation, travelling in oceans and many more.
- They have to be physically exerted so that they can successfully repair machinery such as air conditioners, refrigerators and other equipment on ships or other water vehicles.
- They have to maintain records of data so that they can ensure efficient work.
- They have to make sure that the vehicles do not create any type of pollution in oceans and the environment.
- In order to make all the things ready, they have to do big jobs as well as small workloads of tugs, port authority vessels, patrol boats and many more.
Steps to become a Marine Engineer
There are some simple yet important steps to become a good Marine Engineer. These steps in detail are written below.
- Step 1 – Decision Making: Students have to take complete education in their 12th class. Candidates who have completed 12th class with Science Stream would be preferred. After that, they have to gather information about the courses which can be done at Graduation for Marine Engineering. They have to choose specializations and subjects for that particular course which has been chosen by the candidate. After this, you have to look for the colleges or universities in which you can take the admissions which would be the best decision making. They should also have seen about the accreditation and ranking of the colleges in which they are going to take admission so that the candidates would be provided better quality education in Marine Engineering.
- Step 2 – Subject Choices: Choosing subjects or specializations is the next step to become a good Marine Engineer. Choosing the right subjects related to Marine Engineering Environment would be beneficial for the candidates as well the industry in which they are working. Some major subjects the candidates will study, will be Environmental science, Hydrodynamics, Propulsion systems, Naval architecture fundamentals, Calculus, Marine mining, Applied physics, electronic navigation systems, Maritime commerce, Safety controls for engineering, Naval vocabulary and jargon and many more.
- Step 3 – Preparation of Entrance Examinations: There are various Entrance Examinations which are different for different levels of studies. However, popular Entrance Exams for taking admission to UG Courses are IMUCET, JEE Advanced, HIMT, JEE Mains, TMISAT etc. For PG Courses, the most popular Entrance Exam is GATE.
- Step 4 – Fundamentals of Engineering exam: After the successful completion of the UG Degree, candidates have to apply for the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering exam) from NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying). This Exam is very important as it would check whether the candidates are good to work in that specific environment where they are going to get placed. Passing this Exam is very important as this qualification will help the candidates to become a licensed engineer.
- Step 5 – Applying for Jobs: Candidates have to start an entry-level marine engineering job where they have to gain experience to work more. They would work as a Junior Marine Engineer where they would get experience to become a Senior Marine Engineer. Candidates can look for those job opportunities in which they have interest in doing a job.
Types of a Marine Engineer
Marine Engineers are divided into some categories who only work in oceans for designing or maintenance of water vehicles. There are mainly four types of Marine Engineers for which some details are given below:
- Naval Architect: They are responsible for the overall design and the propulsion of the ship in the oceans or water. They have to manufacture and design all kinds of commercial or military structures such as yachts, streamers, tugs, fishing boats, warships, submarines, powerboats, barges and many more. They are floating structures which have been developing the field of technology in water. They have to build, research, and develop various above-mentioned along with the safety measures and economic feasibility in these marine units.
- Oceanographic Engineering: They are responsible for mechanical, electrical and computer technology for ocean development. They have to develop marine technology where a branch of technological studies deals with the operations, functions and design of human-made systems in ocean and other marine bodies. Basically, oceanography is the study of natural aspects of the ocean's dynamics, not the artificial influence. They should know about all policies and procedures that should be known by an Oceanographic Engineer. Modern Technology and advanced systems are used by these engineers for underwater technology also.
- Offshore Engineering: Offshore Engineering is known as the designing and construction of various fixed and floating marine structures including oil platforms and offshore wind farms. They have to deal with all the equipment and machinery for a part of the oceans. They have to build bridges over rivers. They have to build cables under water, along with performing various operations on the habitats. Various structures are constructed for the availability of many resources like oil from oceans for which these structures have to get built in very bad weather conditions on oceans for which these engineers have to ensure safety and efficiency.
- Mechanical Engineering: They are responsible for designing various mechanisms of a ship such as heating, proper ventilation, steering and air facilities. Both interior and exterior processes of the water vehicles must be checked and supervised by them. They have to manage electrical items in the vehicles also. They are also responsible for designing procedures for water vehicles.
How to become a Marine Engineer in India?
Some of the details about the preparation at each level of education to become a Marine Engineer have been discussed below:
- School Level Preparation: Candidates who want to become a Marine Engineer should have taken Science Stream in their 12th class. They should have the knowledge of English Language so that they can communicate with others because english is a common language all over the world and the profession requires a lot of travelling as well. These skills can help them to obtain higher package placements in good companies. To improve their skills, they can take remedial or extra classes.
How to become a Marine Engineer after 12th?
The preparation to become a Marine Engineer at the undergraduate level and postgraduate level have been discussed below.
UG Preparation
In some institutes, the length of the Bachelor’s Degree can be different but in general, the coursework is of 4 years in which students have to do both theoretical as well as practical subjects for better understanding. Practical sessions may be in-house or at real sites like shipyards. There are various topics which are included in a Marine Engineering Program such as computer science, applied mathematics, physics, electronics and marine management. At the level of UG Preparation, candidates would get to improve their mental as well as physical attributes as they would get training on all these topics. This would help them to get work in the navy.
PG Preparation
The Subjects would remain the same, but the education level would be upgraded. Training would be difficult in PG Programs for Marine Engineering as they will be trained for working in all climatic conditions. They will be taught about more principles or techniques that would be used by them at the time of Training. They will create a portfolio so that they climb the senior positions of an industry. The course for the candidates for Marine Engineering at PG Level is M.Tech in which candidates would get admission on the basis of GATE Entrance Examination.
Courses to become a Marine Engineer
The courses which can be pursued to become a Marine Engineer are listed below.
Graduate Marine Engineering (GME)
GME is a diploma course with a duration of 1 year in which candidates would work in the navy sector. Candidates have to work as junior marine engineers and need to complete a 6-month training for it. After the completion of this training, they will have to apply for a particular Examination. The Course Fee ranges from INR 25,000 to 3.5 Lakhs. Candidates would get placed in various companies like DHL Express, Fleet Management, HCL on an average salary package of INR 2 LPA to 11 LPA. Marine Engineering and Research Institute Mumbai, Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training Chennai are the top colleges for this Course.
Admission Process
GME Admission can be on the basis of Merit only. However, admission in some institutes would be on the basis of the Entrance Exam for which they have to apply on the official website. They have to submit their fees and documents to apply. Cut Off for this Course is released every year by which students would get admission and they have to reserve their seats for admission to the GME Program.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates applying for the GME Course must have completed a B.Tech./BE Degree from a recognised institute or university with a minimum of 60% marks in it. They should have completed their 12th class with English as a proficiency language and should have taken at least 50% marks in English in 12th class. Candidate’s age must not be more than 28 years and he/she should be medically fit.
B.Tech in Marine Engineering
BTech in Marine Engineering is a 4-year course by which the candidates can become Marine Engineers. Various subjects have to be studied by the candidates such as Applied Thermodynamics, Control Engineering and Automation, Marine Electrical Technology. The average course fees are between INR 50,000 and INR 10 Lakhs in public institutes and in private engineering colleges between INR 4,00,000 to 14 Lakhs. There are various placements for this Course with an average salary package of INR 7 LPA in Naval academy, Shipyards, Port Trust and many more.
Admission Process
Admission in most institutes would be on the basis of Entrance Exam for which they have to apply on the official website. They have to submit their fees and documents to apply. They have to wait for the result and get a cut off so that they can get admission in a good engineering college. They have to prepare for counselling also.
Check: BTech Marine Engineering Jobs
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates should have completed their 12th class with PCM with a minimum of 60% marks in it. Some institutes also accept 50% marks in 12th class. For Lateral B.Tech, they have to complete a Diploma to take admission.
Check: BTech Marine Engineering Syllabus
M.Tech in Marine Engineering
MTech in Marine Engineering is a 2-year course in designing, manufacturing and operating ship parts and shipbuilding. National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Tolani Maritime University Pune are some of the top colleges for this Course with an average course fee of INR 2 to 5 Lakhs. Starting Salary would reach up to INR 10 LPA.
Admission Process
For taking admission to this course, candidates have to apply for the GATE Entrance Exam on its official website. After registering successfully, they have to fill the Application form and pay the application fees along with the submission of all required documents. After clearing the Exam, they have to apply for counselling. After qualifying this counselling, they will get admission into M.Tech. Colleges.
Check: MTech Marine Engineering Jobs
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must have completed a Bachelor’s Degree in the relevant stream of BE/B.Tech. in Marine Engineering with a minimum of 55% marks in it. They can also apply if they have any other equivalent Degree with the minimum marks required in it.
How to become a Marine Engineer Abroad?
Australia, Canada, US and UK are the best countries in which candidates can make their career in Marine Engineering. There are many popular Sea Firms Abroad at various locations such as New York, California, Massachusetts, Columbia and Texas. Studying abroad is much better but the number of specializations in India are more than abroad.
UK
- There are 158 colleges in the UK offering Marine Engineering Courses.
- There are currently 4,85,645 international students pursuing their degree in the UK.
- Main Courses include B.Tech, M.Tech, B.Sc, Diploma, Certificate Course in Marine Engineering and many more.
- There are various jobs for Marine Engineering in the UK with an average salary package of INR 32 LPA.
Top Colleges
| College Name | Average Fees |
|---|---|
| University of Sheffield | INR 20,22,000 |
| University of Plymouth | INR 12,06,500 |
| University of Strathclyde | INR 16,25,000 |
| Newcastle University | INR 18,10,000 |
| University of Southampton | INR 18,18,000 |
| Liverpool John Moores University | INR 12,00,000 |
| University of London | INR 14,50,000 |
| University of Aberdeen | INR 17,50,000 |
| Brunel University | INR 15,00,000 |
| Heriot-Watt University | INR 33,12,000 |
USA
- There are more than 500 colleges in the USA offering Marine Engineering Courses.
- There is a decrease of 43% of international students pursuing their degree in the USA.
- Main Courses include B.Tech, M.Tech, B.Sc, Diploma, Certificate Course in Marine Engineering and many more.
- There are various jobs for Marine Engineers in the USA with an average salary package of INR 44 LPA.
Top Colleges
| College Name | Average Fees |
|---|---|
| University of New Orleans | INR 15,28,000 |
| Seattle Central College | INR 7,21,500 |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | INR 1,63,20,000 |
| Old Dominion University | INR 9,50,000 |
| University of Michigan | INR 10,00,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | INR 41,34,000 |
| Harvard University | INR 43,35,000 |
| Stanford University | INR 57,50,000 |
| University of California | INR 57,00,000 |
| Columbia University | INR 50,00,000 |
Canada
- There are 220 colleges in Canada offering Marine Engineering Courses.
- Most Students come from India and China to study in Canada.
- Main Courses include B.Tech, M.Tech, B.Sc, Diploma, Certificate Course in Marine Engineering and many more.
- There are various jobs for Marine Engineering in Canada with an average salary package of INR 35 LPA.
Top Colleges
| College Name | Average Fees |
|---|---|
| Georgian College | INR 44,05,000 |
| University of British Columbia | INR 32,22,000 |
| Nova Scotia Community College | INR 10,00,000 |
| Memorial University of Newfoundland | INR 12,80,000 |
| British Columbia Institute of Technology | INR 11,37,500 |
| McGill University | INR 22,00,000 |
| University ofToronto | INR 27,86,500 |
| University of Alberta | INR 15,20,000 |
| McMaster University | INR 16,00,000 |
| University of Waterloo | INR 10,00,000 |
Australia
- There are more than 80 colleges in Australia offering Marine Engineering Courses.
- Australia has the maximum number of international students in the world.
- Main Courses include B.Tech, M.Tech, B.Sc, Diploma, Certificate Course in Marine Engineering and many more.
- There are various jobs for Marine Engineering in Australia with an average salary package of INR 42 LPA.
Top Colleges
| College Name | Average Fees |
|---|---|
| Manukau Institute of Technology | INR 4,20,000 |
| University of Tasmania | INR 37,25,000 |
| TAFE Western Australia | INR 6,82,500 |
| University of Western Australia | INR 35,00,000 |
| Australian Maritime College | INR 28,00,000 |
| University of Wollongong | INR 16,50,000 |
| TAFE NSW Institutes | INR 8,50,000 |
| University of Melbourne | INR 12,27,000 |
| Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology | INR 6,12,000 |
Benefits of a Marine Engineer
The benefits of being a Marine Engineer has been discussed below.
- Salary Trends: Salary Trends of this Industry is very excellent, and they offer a good salary package. The Salaries may be different for different specializations, experience, gender, or companies but the salary is very high. The Salary offered is the maximum which is to be given to the jobseeker.
- Job Security: Job security depends on the performance level of the candidates. Candidates can lose their jobs if they have health issues, certification issues, mishap at sea and many more.
- Positive Impacts: Career as a Marine Engineer has a positive impact in one’s personal as well as professional life. Students learn to be disciplined and develop a strong mindset in dealing with problems. They are best at their physical level as travelling in waters for a longer period of time takes a toll on the body.
- Unique Experience: After getting an entry-level job in Marine Engineering, they would gain experience in training. They will get licensed after becoming a senior marine engineer as they would be juniors at the start of the job. Travelling in Oceans and different countries gives it a unique experience for any professional.
Skills Required to Become a Marine Engineer
Skills required for a Marine Engineer are as follows:
| Communication Skills | Team Management Skills |
| Time Management Skills | IT Skills |
| Efficient Planning Skills | Problem Solving Skills |
| Budget Management Skills | Negotiating Skills |
| Mathematical Skills | Computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) skills |
Salary of a Marine Engineer in India
The Salary of a Marine Engineer gets increases with the increase in work experience. Salary is different in different types of companies. However, the starting salary of a good Marine Engineer in a normal company starts from INR 10 LPA.
Average Annual Salary
| Name of Organization | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Government | INR 5,80,000 |
| Private | INR 6,60,000 |
Specialization-wise Salary
| Specializations | Salary (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Naval Architect | INR 6,42,000 |
| Oceanographic Engineering | INR 6,90,000 |
| Offshore Engineering | INR 8,42,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | INR 3,87,000 |
Gender-wise Salary
| Gender | Salary (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Female | INR 3,00,000 |
| Male | INR 4,50,000 |
Experience-wise Salary
| Experience | Salary (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Entry Level | INR 1,25,000 |
| Mid-Career | INR 3,48,000 |
| Senior | INR 6,12,000 |
| Late Career | INR 8,12,000 |
How to Become a Marine Engineer: FAQs
Ques. What are the job profiles of a marine Engineer?
Ans. There are various job profiles of a marine engineer such as Chief Engineer, Chief Electric Tech Officer, Design Engineer, Navy Personnel, Maintenance Engineer, Chief Security Officer, and many more.
Ques. Are there any part-time courses required to become a marine engineer?
Ans. Yes, there are courses in part-time mode also. However, only 7% courses are part-time whereas 93% courses in Marine Engineering are in full-time mode as candidates need to take training to work on water vehicles.
Ques. Which courses are mostly done by candidates to become a marine engineer?
Ans. 40% students study Diploma, 30% students study Certificate Course and 20% students study a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Engineering. However, the PG Level of study is taken by only 5% candidates.
Ques. Are there any problems while working as a marine engineer?
Ans. Yes, marine engineers have to work 24*7 on ships, and they have to work in different difficult climatic conditions. They have difficult and risky jobs. They have to stay away from their family, and they can have health issues by doing these jobs.
Ques. Which books are to be read to become a successful marine Engineer?
Ans. There are various books used to become a good marine engineer which includes INTRODUCTION TO MARINE ENGINEERING, MARINE BOILERS, POUNDER’S MARINE DIESEL ENGINES AND GAS TURBINES – DOUG WOODYARD, GENERAL ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE, SHIP CONSTRUCTION and many more books written by famous authors.
Ques. How to show a best CV while applying to a company for a post of Junior marine engineer?
Ans. Candidates should have mentioned the relevant experience in any field. They have to write about their own skills and abilities also. They have to mention all the awards they have won. They have to mention their qualifications also. Candidates have to write excellent content while applying for a post of marine engineer.
Ques. What is the eligibility of marine engineering courses at Abroad?
Ans. The Candidates should have a passport with their VISA so that they can complete their full course without facing any problem. They should have a score of 6.5 in IELTS or a required score in GRE or TOEFL.
Ques. What are the certifications needed to become a marine engineer?
Ans. The Candidates should have completed Fundamentals of Engineering exam (FE) and Practice of Engineering exam (PE) from National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) to become a successful marine engineer.
Ques. What are the electives that are to be done in M.Tech. Marine Engineering Course?
Ans. There are various electives that are to be done in M.Tech. Marine Engineering such as the Finite Element Method, Remote Sensing Applications in Coastal Engineering, Structural Design and Drawing, Offshore Engineering, Computer Oriented Numerical Methods, CAD of Marine Structures.
Ques. What is the gender share for getting jobs as a marine engineer?
Ans. According to various reports, 84% jobs for marine engineering are given to men whereas only 16% jobs are given to the female category as they have to work in difficult conditions.
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