How to become a Ships' Engineer

Official title: Ships' Engineers

Plans, coordinates, directs and shares in the operation and maintenance of ship machinery, or directs onshore inspection, replacement and repair work for ships in port.

Main tasks

• Inspect boiler rooms and supervise staff who operate and maintain a ship's electrical, electronic and mechanical equipment
• Order fuel and other engine room parts, and keep operating records
• Apply knowledge of marine machinery and equipment to solve problems at work
• Direct onshore inspection, replacement and repair work for ships in port; control and take part in operating the ship's mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment

Ways in

• Technical college: Technical and vocational college programme. Universities of science and technology and junior colleges run departments in related fields: transport services (1041); motor vehicles, ships and aircraft (0716). Departments in academic year 114 (2025-26): four-year technical bachelor's (四技) 4, two-year technical bachelor's (二技) 3, five-year junior college (五專) 2, two-year junior college (二專) 2. Fields matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
• Licence (national exam): Regulated profession. To practise as a ship engineer officer you must pass the national Professional and Technical Examination (專門職業及技術人員考試) for 一等輪機員管輪、二等輪機員管輪 and hold the certificate. Listed in the annex to article 2 of the Enforcement Rules of the Professional and Technical Examinations Act, item 8.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Average pay: NT$1,723,000 a year
• Demand for Science and engineering jobs is projected at about 952,000 in 2024 and about 1,072,000 in 2030. (+12.6%)
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Related jobs

• Ships' Deck Officers and Pilots
• Aircraft Pilots and Related Associate Professionals
• Air Traffic Controllers
• Air Traffic Safety Electronics Technicians

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Ships' Engineer?

Ways in include: Technical and vocational college programme.

How much does a Ships' Engineer earn in Taiwan?

Average pay is NT$1,723,000 a year (Ministry of Labor, Department of Statistics).

Is a Ships' Engineer a growing career in Taiwan?

Demand for this job family is projected to change 12.6% from 2024 to 2030 (National Development Council).

Will AI change the work of a Ships' Engineer?

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

Sources

• Ministry of Labor, Department of Statistics: Occupational Wage Survey (職類別薪資調查) (2025 survey (July 2025 monthly, 2024 annual), released 2026-05-29), Open Government Data License, version 1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• National Development Council: Final manpower demand projections by occupation (職業別最終人力需求推估) (2025 to 2030 (base 2024), 13 job families), CC BY 4.0, 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