# Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

US SOC code 17-2121. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-2121

Also called: Marine engineer, Naval architect, Ship designer, Naval engineer, Marine structural engineer.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **8,250** US marine engineers and naval architects, with median pay of **$112,230** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **11,360**, in May 2019. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Naval_Architects_and_Marine_Engineers) of **3,500** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for marine engineers and naval architects: 3D integrated ship design systems, 1995 to 2018.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 6.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2121&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **40.4%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Marine Engineers and Naval Architects employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1860
- Latest US employment: 8,250 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $112,230 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [8]
- Outlook: +6.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [20]

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 3,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., SNAME [1] |
| 1943 | 12,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., University of Michigan [2] |
| 1950 | 5,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., University of Michigan NAME [2] |
| 1969 | n/a | $12,500 (estimate) | Est., University of Missouri Libraries [6] |
| 1979 | 8,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ENO Center for Transportation [3] |
| 2000 | 4,680 | $60,890 | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 4,960 | $70,490 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 6,620 | $72,040 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 6,550 | $72,920 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 7,810 | $72,990 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 6,620 | $76,200 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 6,480 | $74,140 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 5,270 | $74,330 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 5,720 | $79,920 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 5,470 | $84,850 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 6,880 | $88,100 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 6,640 | $89,550 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 7,570 | $92,930 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 7,600 | $93,110 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 8,120 | $93,350 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 10,960 | $90,970 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 11,350 | $92,560 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 11,360 | $92,400 | BLS OEWS May 2019 (employment) [5]; BLS OEWS 2019 (pay) [9] |
| 2020 | 8,700 | $95,440 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 7,380 | $93,370 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 7,450 | $96,910 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 9,960 | $100,270 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 8,440 | $105,670 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 8,250 | $112,230 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (86)

### Employment series

1. [SNAME — "Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers" founding and early history (1893); membership context for estimating early professional workforce size](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Naval_Architects_and_Marine_Engineers), Wikipedia / SNAME
2. [University of Michigan — Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering department history: WWII acceleration programs, RONAG training, and wartime shipbuilding employment context](https://name.engin.umich.edu/home/about/history/), University of Michigan NAME
3. [ENO Center for Transportation — "Decline in U.S. Shipbuilding Industry": US shipyard employment context late 1970s (187,000 workers)](https://enotrans.org/article/decline-u-s-shipbuilding-industry-cautionary-tale-foreign-subsidies-destroying-u-s-jobs/), ENO Center for Transportation
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [University of Missouri Libraries — "Prices and Wages by Decade: 1960-1969" (BLS professional engineer earnings, 1970 Census occupation data)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1960-1969), University of Missouri Libraries / BLS historical sources
7. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
9. [BLS OEWS 2019 — Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (17-2121) occupational employment and wage statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes172121.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
10. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

11. [Wikipedia — Lofting (shipbuilding): history of full-scale lines plan lofting and transition to CAD era](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lofting), Wikipedia
12. [RINA — "Our History": founding of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects on January 16, 1860; institutionalization of naval architecture as a profession](https://www.rina.org.uk/about-us), Royal Institution of Naval Architects
13. [Wikipedia — Royal Institution of Naval Architects: founding context, professionalization of naval architecture, drawing-board-era practice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Institution_of_Naval_Architects), Wikipedia
14. [ScienceDirect — "Five decades of Computer-Aided Ship Design" (Lamb, 2009): history of computer applications in naval architecture from the 1950s mainframe era through integrated CAD/CAM](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010448509001985), ScienceDirect / Computer-Aided Design journal
15. [Wikipedia — FORAN System: history of the SENER FORAN integrated CAD/CAM system for ship design, one of the earliest dedicated naval architecture CAD platforms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FORAN_System), Wikipedia
16. [Marine Engineers Know Better — "Marine Mastery: Utilizing CAD in Ship Design and Construction": history and capabilities of AVEVA Marine, NAPA, and ShipConstructor in modern ship design](https://d1meba.org/marine-mastery-utilizing-cad-in-ship-design-and-construction-2/), Marine Engineers Know Better / D1 MEBA
17. [NAPA — NAPA Designer: AI-assisted hull form optimization and hydrostatics platform for naval architects (2024-2025)](https://www.napa.fi/software-and-services/ship-design/software/napa-designer/), NAPA Group
18. [IMO — 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships: July 2023 (MEPC 80) adoption; net-zero international shipping by or around 2050](https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/environment/pages/2023-imo-strategy-on-reduction-of-ghg-emissions-from-ships.aspx), International Maritime Organization
19. [ABS — Eagle FE-DLA: AI-assisted spectral fatigue life assessment for ship structural details (2024)](https://www.eagle.org/class-services/software/eagle-fe-dla/), American Bureau of Shipping

### Forecasts and exposure studies

20. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 17-2121 Marine engineers and naval architects (2025: 8.4 thousand; 2035: 8.9 thousand; +6.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2121&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
21. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 17-2121.00, human-rated β 0.404)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

22. [RINA — "Our History": January 16, 1860 founding; Royal Charter 1910; mission to advance the science and art of naval architecture](https://www.rina.org.uk/about-us), Royal Institution of Naval Architects
23. [Wikipedia — Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers: founding 1893, mission, key founders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Naval_Architects_and_Marine_Engineers), Wikipedia / SNAME
24. [Wikipedia — David Taylor Research Center: founding 1898, role in US naval architecture and ship resistance research](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Taylor_Research_Center), Wikipedia
25. [University of Michigan NAME — department history: WWII acceleration programs, RONAG training, wartime shipbuilding](https://name.engin.umich.edu/home/about/history/), University of Michigan NAME
26. [ENO Center for Transportation — "Decline in U.S. Shipbuilding Industry": Reagan CDS termination, commercial shipbuilding collapse, employment impact](https://enotrans.org/article/decline-u-s-shipbuilding-industry-cautionary-tale-foreign-subsidies-destroying-u-s-jobs/), ENO Center for Transportation
27. [IMO — 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships: net-zero international shipping by or around 2050 adopted at MEPC 80; primary regulatory driver of naval architect employment growth](https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/environment/pages/2023-imo-strategy-on-reduction-of-ghg-emissions-from-ships.aspx), International Maritime Organization

### Predecessors & successors

28. [RINA — "Our History": transformation of shipwright craft guild into professional naval architecture with RINA founding in 1860](https://www.rina.org.uk/about-us), Royal Institution of Naval Architects
29. [Wikipedia — Royal Institution of Naval Architects: founding membership included marine engineers, ship owners, and civil engineers; cross-disciplinary origins of the profession](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Institution_of_Naval_Architects), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (17-2121.00): tasks, knowledge, technology skills](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-2121.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Marine Engineers and Naval Architects: +9% growth 2024–2034; median annual wage $98,920 (May 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/marine-engineers-and-naval-architects.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [IMO — Revised GHG Strategy 2023: net-zero international shipping by 2050; decarbonization targets shaping vessel design requirements](https://www.imo.org/en/mediacentre/pressbriefings/pages/revised-ghg-reduction-strategy-for-global-shipping-adopted-.aspx), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NAPA — NAPA Designer: AI-assisted hull form design and optimization platform for naval architects (2024–2025)](https://www.napa.fi/software-and-services/ship-design/software/napa-designer/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Bentley Systems — Maxsurf: resistance, powering, seakeeping, and stability analysis software suite for ship design (Bentley acquired Maxsurf from BMT)](https://www.bentley.com/software/maxsurf/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [DNV — Sesam: FEA and hydrodynamics analysis suite for offshore and ship structures (2024–2025)](https://www.dnv.com/services/strength-assessment-of-offshore-structures-sesam-software-1068/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ABS — Eagle FE-DLA: AI-assisted spectral fatigue life assessment for ship structural details (2024)](https://www.eagle.org/class-services/software/eagle-fe-dla/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [AVEVA — Marine: 3D ship design, outfitting, and production engineering solutions for the full vessel lifecycle (2024)](https://www.aveva.com/en/industries/marine/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Wartsila — Voyage and Ports: AI-assisted voyage optimization for fuel efficiency and emissions reduction (2024–2025)](https://www.wartsila.com/marine/products/fleet-optimisation/voyage-and-ports), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Everllence (formerly MAN Energy Solutions) — B&W ME-LGIA ammonia dual-fuel two-stroke engine: zero-carbon shipping (2024–2025)](https://www.everllence.com/marine/products/two-stroke-engines/ammonia-engine), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Norsepower — Rotor sail technology: wind-assisted ship propulsion with digital twin performance optimization (2025)](https://norsepower.com/product/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ABS — My Digital Fleet: vessel health monitoring and AI anomaly detection for fleet performance management (2024)](https://ww2.eagle.org/en/Products-and-Services/digital-solutions/my-digital-fleet.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NAVTOR — AI-enhanced ENC voyage planning and digital navigation solutions for maritime operators (2025)](https://www.navtor.com/integrated-solutions/navstation), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Numeca International — FineMarine: CFD suite for ship hull resistance, propulsor, and seakeeping simulation (2024)](https://www.numeca.com/product/fine-marine), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.