Ship Engineers
Also known as: Barge Engineer, Deck Engineer, Engineer (+23 more)
Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.
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What You'll Do
- Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed.
- Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff.
- Maintain electrical power, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, or sewerage systems.
- Record orders for changes in ship speed or direction, and note gauge readings or test data, such as revolutions per minute or voltage output, in engineering logs or bellbooks.
- Perform or participate in emergency drills, as required.
- Maintain complete records of engineering department activities, including machine operations.
- Start engines to propel ships, and regulate engines and power transmissions to control speeds of ships, according to directions from captains or bridge computers.
- Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified.
- Maintain or repair engines, electric motors, pumps, winches, or other mechanical or electrical equipment, or assist other crew members with maintenance or repair duties.
- Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks.
Essential Skills
Career Fit Overview
Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.
Top passions
- Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
- Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
- Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.
Common styles
Dependability, Attention to Detail, Cautiousness, Stress Tolerance, Integrity
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Key Abilities
This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:
Technologies & Tools
Work Environment & Strengths
Common Strengths for This Career
- Dependability (High importance: 4.95/5)
- Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.78/5)
- Cautiousness (High importance: 4.75/5)
- Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.47/5)
- Integrity (High importance: 4.4/5)
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This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.
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Also Known As
This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:
Career Fit FAQs
Is this career a good fit for me
This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.
Can this help if I want to stay in my field
Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.
What should I compare first
Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.
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