Ship and Aircraft Controllers and Technicians

How to become a marine engineering officer

Official title: Marine engineering officer

Also called: Fifth foreign-going marine engineering officer, Fifth marine engineer, Fifth marine engineering officer, Fourth foreign-going marine engineering officer, Fourth marine engineering officer, Fourth marine officer, Marine engineer officer, Third foreign-going marine engineering officer, Third marine engineering officer, Third marine officer, 3rd/4th/5th Engineer, Chief Engineer (Special Limit)

Marine engineering officer controls, supervises and participates in the operation, performance, maintenance and repair of mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment and machinery on board ship.

Main tasks

Controlling and participating in the operation, maintenance and repair of mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment and machinery on board ship
Ordering fuel and other engine-room department stores and maintaining record of operations
Performing technical supervision of the installation, maintenance and repair of ship’s machinery and equipment to ensure compliance with specifications and regulations
Inspecting and conducting maintenance and emergency repairs to engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment
Standing engine room watch, monitoring and noting performance of engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment
Supervising other workers

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Marine & Offshore Engineering - Production (Repair & Maintenance). You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
Polytechnic or ITE: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec). Related ITE courses: Higher Nitec in Marine & Offshore Engineering. Peernovo matched these from course names; ITE does not publish which jobs each course leads to.; Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Environmental & Marine Science (Republic Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
Licence or registration: Deck and engineering officers on Singapore-registered ships need a Certificate of Competency for their rank. Singapore cadets earn one through a nautical or marine engineering diploma, sea service and exams; officers certified by a recognised foreign country also need an endorsement from the MPA. Law: Merchant Shipping Act 1995. Regulator: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) (https://www.mpa.gov.sg).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $50,076 a year. The middle half earn $39,336 to $63,888 a year.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Questions people ask

How do I become a marine engineering officer?

Ways in include: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec); Polytechnic diploma; Work-study diploma.

How much does a marine engineering officer earn in Singapore?

Median full-time pay is $50,076 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $39,336 to $63,888.

Will AI change the work of a marine engineering officer?

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

Sources

Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, 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

Updated 4 October 2026