Marine Services Technicians
Overview
Introduction
Marine services technicians inspect, maintain, and repair marine vessels, from small boats to large yachts. They work on vessels hulls, engines, transmissions, navigational equipment, and electrical, propulsion, and refrigeration systems. Depending on their specialty, they may also be known as motorboat mechanics, marine electronics technicians, or marine fiberglass technicians. Marine services technicians may work at boat dealerships, boat repair shops, boat engine manufacturers, or marinas. Naturally, jobs are co...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
In 2025, Payscale.com reported the average annual salary for marine service technicians was $49,150. The median yearly earnings of motorboat mechanics totaled $49,990 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Salaries ranged from less than $35,010 to more than $73,600.
Technicians in small shops tend to receive few fringe benefits, but larger employers often offer paid vaca...
Work Environment
Technicians who work indoors often are in well-lit and ventilated shops. The work is cleaner than that on cars because there tends to be less grease and dirt on marine engines; instead, workers have to deal with water scum, heavy-duty paint, and fiberglass. In general, marine work is similar to other types of mechanical jobs, where workers encounter such things as noise when engines are being r...
Outlook
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment opportunities for small engine mechanics are expected to grow by about 4 percent, about as fast the average for all occupations, through 2033. As boat design and construction become more complicated, the outlook will be best for well-trained technicians. Boat engines have become more sophisticated and efficient, and there will be a continued...
