United Kingdom · Marine Engineering
Marine engineer
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- UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job
Two short quizzes about you
1From This Job To A Course
The qualifications matched to this job
Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.
The units you would start with
Built for Marine engineer
4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.
- Carrying Out Planned Maintenance Activities on Marine Mechanical Equipment Level 3
- Installing marine pipework, components and systems (Maritime Defence) Level 3
- Producing Socket and Flange Fillet Welded Joints in Pipe using a Manual Welding Process Level 3
- Operating CNC fabrication equipment Level 3
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2What This Role Really Is
Design and oversee testing installation and repair of marine apparatus and equipment.
- Work safely at all times, adhering to relevant regulations
- Follow maintenance schedules accurately
- Carry out maintenance within personal authority limits
- Execute maintenance in the specified sequence and timeframe
- Report any maintenance issues or defects encountered
- Complete maintenance records accurately
- Dispose of waste materials per safe working practices
- Work safely at all times, adhering to relevant regulations.
- Follow proper procedures for tool and equipment use.
- Set up and conduct tests within agreed timescales.
- Perform quality checks to ensure test accuracy.
- Record test results in the appropriate format.
- Review results and conduct further tests as necessary.
- Work safely at all times and comply with relevant regulations.
- Follow specifications for setting up and operating equipment correctly.
- Utilize appropriate methods for testing marine propulsion systems.
- Address and report problems effectively.
- Verify that equipment operates to specifications.
3Skills You Will Use
What you’ll use
Skills This Role Draws On
Technical
- Knowledge and Understanding: Respond appropriately to customer needs (internal and external)
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Communicate marine engineering principles, concepts and processes relevant to the customer using appropriate listening, questioning, non-verbal communication, recording and presentation techniques
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Use appropriate marine and engineering terminology
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Make recommendations to ensure optimal performance of boats
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: National and international marine industry and the company’s place, products and services within it
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Types of customers and their typical engineering needs
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: How marine engineers interact with and support other marine trades
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Role of formal and informal communication
- Marine engineering terminology: Use of information technology in marine engineering
- Marine engineering terminology: Costing, pricing and budgeting principles
- Work methods and environment: Comply with quality, health and safety and environmental regulations
- Work methods and environment: Prepare the work area in order to conduct marine engineering activities
- Work methods and environment: Select, use, maintain and store equipment and tools spanners, socket sets, screwdrivers, power tools
- Work methods and environment: Follow and maintain work procedures, method statements and production records
- Work efficiently and effectively: Consider sustainability and environmental impacts when making, safety, quality and cost decisions
- Work efficiently and effectively: Use mathematical techniques, formulae, and calculations in marine engineering processes
- Work efficiently and effectively: Requirements and practices for working safely and ensuring the health and safety of themselves and others in the work environment
- Work efficiently and effectively: Safe efficient methods of, assembly/use/maintenance/ movement/protection and storage of materials, tools and equipment
- Work efficiently and effectively: How to produce and interpret scaled engineering drawings plus any certification requirements
- Work efficiently and effectively: Types and uses of work procedures, method statements, production records and manufacturer’s manuals and specifications
- Work efficiently and effectively: Characteristics and reaction of materials to their environment: temperature, humidity, pressure
- Work efficiently and effectively: Mathematical techniques, formula, and calculations that underpin marine engineering
- Work efficiently and effectively: Requirements and principles for ensuring quality and continuous business improvement
- Planning and set up: Design layout of marine system or component
- Planning and set up: Interpret designer’s plans and engineering data, drawings and documentation
- Planning and set up: Finalise time and cost of the work to be done
- Planning and set up: Select/ maintain/ store appropriate equipment and materials
- Planning and set up: Select/make/use appropriate engineering jigs, templates and tooling
- Planning and set up: Select and use calibrated and measuring engineering tools
- Planning and set up: Select, source and use a variety of precision data charts and reference tables
- Planning and set up: Practical and safe use of tools, materials and equipment
- Planning and set up: Safe uses of jigs, templates and tooling
- Planning and set up: Company’s process for design, planning and set up
- Planning and set up: How to obtain the required correct engineering data, specifications and documentation using selected procedures
- Planning and set up: Principles underpinning technical engineering documentation, the roles and safe and efficient use of fixed and rotating components
- Planning and set up: How to use tools, materials and equipment safely
- Planning and set up: Calibrated tools and measuring equipment and their uses
- Planning and set up: Vessel design and construction, and complex shapes
- Planning and set up: Sourcing of components, bill of materials methodology and reporting discrepancies and quality issues
- Planning and set up: Relationship between systems and efficient use of space
- Planning and set up: Feedback and/or change process (red line) drawings and specification errors or modifications required
- Planning and set up: Install and maintain marine engines and marine ancillary systems and components
- Planning and set up: Measure and mark out to carry out precision machining and hand fitting processes
- Planning and set up: Use hand tools to cut, drill, shape and finish components to tolerances
- Planning and set up: Move components using appropriate safe methods and equipment
- Planning and set up: Assemble, remove, overhaul and refit marine engineering components, sub-assemblies and systems using appropriate machinery, equipment, tools and materials
- Planning and set up: Check/inspect components for robustness, fit and tolerances
- Planning and set up: Shape, fabricate, manipulate and precision alignment of marine engineering components and materials to accepted tolerances
- Planning and set up: Conduct/undertake planned or routine maintenance to required specification
- Planning and set up: Check/test/diagnose marine engineering components to company and manufacturing standards
- Planning and set up: Complete required organisational and manufacturer’s documentation
- Planning and set up: Principles of 2 and 4 stroke petrol and diesel engines and their operation
- Planning and set up: Principles of boat ancillary systems - propulsion
- Planning and set up: How marine engineering systems relate to each other
- Planning and set up: Appropriate uses of measuring aids and equipment
- Planning and set up: Basic principles of contingency planning and problem solving
- Planning and set up: Options and constraints during installation/ maintenance of marine engineering systems and components
- Planning and set up: Working within confines of complex shapes and curves
- Planning and set up: Appropriate use of tools, equipment and machinery
- Planning and set up: Appropriate use of fixing techniques: mechanical fastenings, welding, adhesives
- Planning and set up: Storing marine engineering components safely
- Planning and set up: Methods of disassembling and repairing, refitting engineering components
- Planning and set up: Service and maintenance requirements: engine servicing and winterisation
- Planning and set up: How to inspect, diagnose, record and rectify defects
- Planning and set up: New and traditional engineering and electrical technologies
- Planning and set up: Importance of safe waste handling and disposal in line with statutory and company policies
- Support commission, test and sea trials: Apply safety and social responsibility practices when working at sea
- Support commission, test and sea trials: Check installation meets required operational standards and is free from defects
- Commission and test systems: Complete necessary documentation and company protocols
- Undertake basic crew roles: Manufacturers’ specifications and requirements
- Undertake basic crew roles: Classification definition, types and regulations/ requirements, including Maritime and Coastguard Agency
- Undertake basic crew roles: Statutory and regulatory regulations for basin and sea trials
- Undertake basic crew roles: Principles of safe working practices for working on or near water
- Undertake basic crew roles: Different types of documentation: Trials checklist, engine sea trial report
Ways of working
- Appropriate safety behaviours individually and towards
- Commitment to quality, profitability and continuous
- Commercial and market awareness and business
- Focus on the requirements of the customer, internal and/or
- To work effectively individually and as part of a team and to communicate with all levels of the
- A strong work ethic including being motivated, committed, meticulous, reliable, proactive and
- A recognition and appreciation of equality and diversity in the
- Entry requirements: Individual employers will identify entry requirements. Typically candidates will have GCSEs (or equivalent) at A*-C in Maths, English, a Science, and Technology. An apprentice without level 2 English and maths on entry, must achieve this level before taking the end-point assessment.
4The Pathway
The pathway
Getting in, in the UK
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Marine engineer (Level 3) — Skills England standard ST0364
5Pay And Demand
ONS's coding index maps “Marine engineer” to more than one occupation, so there is no one median to quote. Rather than pick, here is each one it could be, with its own figure:
- Mechanical engineers £51,110 a year
- Boat and ship builders and repairers £33,896 a year
ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, from the April 2025 survey, about six months old when published, as ASHE always is, under the Open Government Licence.
Learning That Starts With You
Learn One to One, Through Your Own Work
Work through practical tasks with your AI tutor. You explain your choices, try things out and learn at your pace.
A lesson from Carrying Out Planned Maintenance Activities on Marine Mechanical Equipment, worked against Marine engineer.
Applied to your work in Marine engineer
This unit aims to equip learners with the skills and knowledge to carry out planned maintenance activities on marine mechanical equipment, adhering to established schedules and procedures. Learners will demonstrate an understanding of the equipment's operation and maintenance requirements while accurately recording all maintenance activities performed.
- 1 Remember
- 2 Understand
- 3 Apply
- 4 Analyse
- 5 Evaluate
- 6 Create
It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.
- Knowledge and Understanding: Respond appropriately to customer needs (internal and external)
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Communicate marine engineering principles, concepts and processes relevant to the customer using appropriate listening, questioning, non-verbal communication, recording and presentation techniques
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Use appropriate marine and engineering terminology
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Make recommendations to ensure optimal performance of boats
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: National and international marine industry and the company’s place, products and services within it
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Types of customers and their typical engineering needs
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: How marine engineers interact with and support other marine trades
- Prepare for meetings and discussions: Role of formal and informal communication
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6Where To Go From Here
This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.
Start with Your Experience
From Your Role to Your Next Role
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The Practical Arrangements
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Your Next Step
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