Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI

Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians

Repair and adjust electrical and mechanical equipment of inboard or inboard-outboard boat engines.

Also called: Marine Mechanic, Marine Technician, Mechanic, Service Technician, Boat Mechanic, Boat Motor Mechanic, Boat Rigger, Marine Propulsion Technician.

O*NET 49-3051.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $57,550; Middle half earn $46,750 to $66,620. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Post-Secondary Certificate; 54% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Start motors and monitor performance for signs of malfunctioning, such as smoke, excessive vibration, or misfiring.
Document inspection and test results and work performed or to be performed.
Mount motors to boats, and operate boats at various speeds on waterways to conduct operational tests.
Repair engine mechanical equipment, such as power tilts, bilge pumps, or power take-offs.
Perform routine engine maintenance on motorboats, such as changing oil and filters.
Replace parts, such as gears, magneto points, piston rings, or spark plugs, and reassemble engines.
Idle motors and observe thermometers to determine the effectiveness of cooling systems.
Inspect and repair or adjust propellers or propeller shafts.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.4 / 5
Active Listening3.1 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
Writing2.5 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mechanical4.8 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.9 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.5 / 5
English Language3.5 / 5
Mathematics3.3 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.3 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative31
Artistic0
Social0
Enterprising10
Conventional48

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

marine mechanic · DE Schiffsmechaniker/Schiffsmechanikerin · FR mécanicien de marine/mécanicienne de marine
fisheries assistant engineer · DE Zweiter technischer Schiffsoffizier Fischereifahrzeug/Zweite technische Schiffsoffizierin Fischereifahrzeug · FR assistant ingénieur en zone de pêche/assistante ingénieure en zone de pêche

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers (5236)16,800 employed
Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians (5223)135,500 employed
Boat and ship builders and repairers (5235)9,900 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.89. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-3051).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test