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Ships' chief engineers, engineers (except fishing boats)

How to become a Marine Engineer Officer

Leads the engine crew in a ship's engine department and looks after the main engine, generators, boilers and other machinery.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say vocational college (senmon gakko) or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

To become a marine engineer officer you must pass the national mariner exam and get a marine engineer (engine) licence. People usually go to one of the former merchant marine universities (now the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and Kobe University), a national college of maritime technology (a kosen, or college of technology) or a maritime technical school, and study the theory and practice of engines and machinery for the set period. They then do sea training, during their course or after graduating, on training ships of the National Institute for Sea Training or their school. Serving on bigger ships requires higher-grade licences and matching sea experience. Order on board, centred on the captain, is important, and you must follow the rules. You also need the leadership to guide the engine crew and build teamwork. You need the fitness and endurance to work in a tough environment with noise and changes in temperature, irregular hours and sometimes time differences.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Marine Engineer Officer?

To become a marine engineer officer you must pass the national mariner exam and get a marine engineer (engine) licence. People usually go to one of the former merchant marine universities (now the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and Kobe University), a national college of maritime technology (a kosen, or college of technology) or a maritime technical school, and study the theory and practice of engines and machinery for the set period. They then do sea training, during their course or after graduating, on training ships of the National Institute for Sea Training or their school. Serving on bigger ships requires higher-grade licences and matching sea experience. Order on board, centred on the captain, is important, and you must follow the rules. You also need the leadership to guide the engine crew and build teamwork. You need the fitness and endurance to work in a tough environment with noise and changes in temperature, irregular hours and sometimes time differences.

Do you need a degree to become a Marine Engineer Officer?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 13% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: College of technology (高等専門学校, kosen).

Will AI change the work of a Marine Engineer Officer?

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

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026