The average salary for a ship engineer in California is around $97,660 per year.
Avg Salary
Ship engineers earn an average yearly salary of $97,660.
Wages typically start from $80,820 and go up to $169,280.
44% above national average Updated in 2025
Ship engineer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level ship engineer earnings begin at:
$81.38 per hour
$169,280 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level ship engineer earnings begin at:
$75.52 per hour
$157,070 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level ship engineer earnings begin at:
$46.95 per hour
$97,660 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level ship engineer earnings begin at:
$40.68 per hour
$84,620 per year
10th percentile
Starting level ship engineer earnings begin at:
$38.86 per hour
$80,820 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Ship engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | $98,380 |
| South Carolina | $97,890 |
| California | $97,660 |
| Alabama | $96,030 |
| Missouri | $91,760 |
| Oregon | $88,800 |
| Alaska | $88,190 |
| Virginia | $82,370 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,210 |
| Michigan | $79,170 |
| Tennessee | $78,510 |
| Maine | $77,160 |
| Georgia | $73,520 |
| North Carolina | $65,010 |
| Minnesota | $60,770 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,570 |
| New York | $133,640 |
| Hawaii | $131,640 |
| Florida | $130,480 |
| Texas | $127,810 |
| Massachusetts | $122,720 |
| Indiana | $122,190 |
| Kentucky | $120,550 |
| Rhode Island | $119,330 |
| Connecticut | $119,010 |
| New Jersey | $118,310 |
| Illinois | $115,310 |
| Washington | $107,940 |
| Louisiana | $103,430 |
| Maryland | $102,070 |
How do ship engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Ship engineers earn 8% more than similar careers in California. On average, they make less than industrial engineers but more than industrial engineering technicians.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Industrial engineer salary | $125K |
| Civil engineer salary | $122K |
| Naval engineer salary | $111K |
| Naval architect salary | $111K |
| Marine engineer salary | $111K |
| Ship engineer salary | $98K |
| Operations research analyst salary | $102K |
| Power engineer salary | $91K |
| Audio engineer salary | $78K |
| Industrial engineering technician salary | $79K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)