Ship Engineers Salary in California

Ship Engineerss in California have a median annual salary of $97,660, which works out to about $46.95 per hour, with a typical 25th–75th percentile range of $84,620 to $157,070, based on the latest BLS OEWS data.

53-5031 · Ship Engineers

Ship Engineers pay in California at a glance

Median annual salary

$97,660

Median hourly wage

$46.95/hr

Average annual salary

$117,530

Average hourly wage

$56.51/hr

25th percentile

$84,620

75th percentile

$157,070

10th percentile

$80,820

90th percentile

$169,280

People employed

610

Salary distribution

Reported wage points from the lowest to the highest paid ship engineers roles in California.

10th percentile
$80,820
25th percentile
$84,620
Median percentile
$97,660
75th percentile
$157,070
90th percentile
$169,280

California vs U.S. salary

The median salary for ship engineers roles in California is about 10.8% below the U.S. median of $109,530 for the same occupation.

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How much does a ship engineers make in California?

Half of ship engineers roles in California report earning more than $97,660 a year and half report earning less — that is the median. The mean (average) of $117,530 is pulled up or down by the highest and lowest earners, which is why the median is usually the better benchmark.

Salary range

A quarter of reported salaries fall below $84,620 and a quarter are above $157,070, so most ship engineers pay sits between those two figures. These percentiles describe how pay is spread across all reported roles — they are not a direct measure of years of experience.

What can affect ship engineers pay?

  • Years of experience and level of responsibility
  • Employer type and size
  • Specialization within the occupation
  • Certifications and licensing
  • Industry
  • Hours worked, shift patterns and overtime
  • The local labor market where the job is based

Ship Engineers pay in other states

Related jobs in California

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Methodology · Data sources

Salary figures are benchmarks and can vary by employer, experience, specialization, hours worked and other factors.