Also called: Ship Test & Trials Engineer
Tests brand-new ships at sea to prove they meet speed, safety, and performance promises.
A sea trials engineer rides a new ship on its first voyages, runs full-speed tests, crash stops, and tight turns, and records data for the customer.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in marine or mechanical engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Engineering, Naval Architecture.
Growing much faster than average (about 8% over 10 years). BLS 2025-35 projection band for SOC 17-2121: Much faster than average (7% or higher).
Low risk for 10 years. Testing new ships at sea, crash stops and all, is hands-on work that AI only helps measure.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Electronics CTE class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2121.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.