Ship Engineers build operation and control, operations monitoring and troubleshooting skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Hydroelectric Plant Technicians (93%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hydroelectric Plant Technicians | 93% | $102,040Pay for the broader BLS group “Power Plant Operators” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | Power Plant Operators | 79% | $102,040 | −7% | None |
| 3 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | 79% | $103,020 | −6% | None |
| 4 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | 79% | $109,910 | 0% | None |
| 5 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | 79% | $78,620 | −28% | None |
| 6 | Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 78% | $79,870 | −27% | None |
| 7 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 75% | $96,710 | −12% | None |
| 8 | Signal and Track Switch Repairers | 74% | $92,460 | −16% | None |
| 9 | Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation | 73% | $92,100Pay for the broader BLS group “Transportation Inspectors” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | 72% | $95,320 | −13% | None |
Compared with Ship Engineers, median $109,530. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as ship engineers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
93% skill match · $102,040 (broader BLS group)
Persuasion · Technology Design
79% skill match · $102,040 · −7% pay
Technology Design
79% skill match · $103,020 · −6% pay
Negotiation · Persuasion · Technology Design
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Hydroelectric Plant Technicians (93% skill match, median $102,040), Power Plant Operators (79% skill match, median $102,040) and Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay (79% skill match, median $103,020), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 2 pay more than ship engineers at the median. The biggest increases: Commercial Pilots (+12%, $123,220) and Nuclear Technicians (+1%, $110,240).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.