Mechanical Engineers and Technicians

How to become a Marine Engineer

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 船舶工程技术人员

Researches and designs ships and their auxiliary equipment, and organises the technical work of shipbuilding.

Main tasks

Researching and applying manufacturing processes and new materials for ships and auxiliary equipment
Researching and designing hulls, propulsion, electrical, machinery, piping and other systems, as well as assemblies and parts
Researching and designing shipboard electronic and electrical equipment
Designing auxiliary facilities and crew working and living areas on board, and guiding their building, assembly and fitting out
Analysing and solving technical problems and organising the production engineering work in shipbuilding
Guiding the testing of ships and the maintenance and management of equipment
Writing and applying standards and specifications for shipbuilding processes

Ways in

University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 105 universities in China Related undergraduate subject classes in the Ministry of Education catalogue (2025): Ocean Engineering (0819); Mechanical Engineering (0802); Materials Science and Engineering (0804); Energy and Power Engineering (0805); Civil Engineering (0810); Automation (0808); Electrical Engineering (0806); Aerospace Engineering (0820); majors such as Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation, Mechanical Process Technology, Intelligent Manufacturing Engineering, Additive Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering. Matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Additive Manufacturing Technology (460112). Vocational major 460112 Additive Manufacturing Technology (增材制造技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Additive Manufacturing Model Design; Additive Manufacturing Equipment Operation and Maintenance; Mechanical Product 3D Model Design.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Digital Design and Manufacturing Technology (460102). Vocational major 460102 Digital Design and Manufacturing Technology (数字化设计与制造技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Mechanical Product 3D Model Design; Digital Factory Production Line Setup and Maintenance; Multi-axis CNC Machining.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Electromechanical Equipment Technology (460202). Vocational major 460202 Electromechanical Equipment Technology (机电设备技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: CNC Equipment Maintenance and Repair; Industrial Robot Operation and Maintenance; Programmable Controller System Application Programming.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Intelligent Electromechanical Technology (460302). Vocational major 460302 Intelligent Electromechanical Technology (智能机电技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Machine Vision System Applications; Industrial Robot Application Programming; Intelligent Production Line Control and Maintenance.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology (460201). Vocational major 460201 Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology (智能制造装备技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: CNC Equipment Maintenance and Repair; Industrial Robot Operation and Maintenance; Intelligent Manufacturing Cell Integration.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturing and Application Technology (460117). Vocational major 460117 Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturing and Application Technology (内燃机制造与应用技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Automotive Operation and Repair; Fuel Vehicle Final Assembly and Testing.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Marine Power Engineering Technology (460502). Vocational major 460502 Marine Power Engineering Technology (船舶动力工程技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification; Mechanical Digital Design and Manufacturing.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing Technology (460118). Vocational major 460118 Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing Technology (机械装备制造技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Digital Management and Maintenance of Construction Machinery; Mechanical Engineering Drawing; CNC Machine Tool Installation and Commissioning.

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥79,500 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥55,200 to CN¥123,700. One in ten earn less than CN¥42,000 and one in ten more than CN¥192,300.
This is the figure for the mid group Engineering and Technical Personnel, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥125,868 a year (2025), middle half CN¥87,655 to CN¥178,696.
This is the figure for the minor group Mechanical Engineers and Technicians, not for this job alone.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Engineering and Technical Personnel holds 2.35% of everyone employed in China; 17.1% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
48.9% are under 35, 45.1% are 35 to 54 and 6% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 35 to 39.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Marine Engineer?

Ways in include: Engineering degrees; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Additive Manufacturing Technology (460112); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Digital Design and Manufacturing Technology (460102).

How much does a Marine Engineer earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥79,500 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Engineering and Technical Personnel. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥125,868 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Marine Engineer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026