Will AI replace Ship Engineers?

Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship. The percentage shown is a task-exposure model, not a prediction of certain job loss.

O*NET 30.3 · 53-5031.00 · modeled exposure, not guaranteed job loss

MODERATE TASK EXPOSURE

38%

Estimated share of representative tasks exposed to current AI capabilities.

Category#

Trades & Physical

Field & Physical

Modeled pay midpoint$

$97,700/yr

Directional estimate — verify locally

Time until impact⌁

2–4 years

Earliest 2027 · widespread 2029–2031

Task-level replaceability ⓘ

Representative tasks ranked from highest to lowest AI exposure.

◇Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff.48%

⚙Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed.42%

▥Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified.35%

✦Physical dexterity in unpredictable settings21%

✦Safety responsibility and on-site judgment17%

Impact timeline ⓘ

How AI assistance may move from early support to wider adoption.

2027Next2029–2031

Early impactAI begins supporting monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff..

Role reshapingRepeatable tasks become faster and more automated.

Wider adoptionThe role centers more on physical dexterity in unpredictable settings.

2–4 yearsdirectional confidence window

HOW AI CHANGES THIS JOBtyping the logic in plain English

01>Start with the real work done by Ship Engineers.

02>AI can help with: Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff.

03>If a task is repetitive and easy to check, AI pressure goes up.

04>But a person is still needed for: Physical dexterity in unpredictable settings.

05>Likely result: AI is more likely to change this job than remove it.

06>Important: 38% is estimated task exposure—not a 38% chance of losing the job.

What AI can do

Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff.MEDIUM

Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed.LOW MATCH

Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified.LOW MATCH

How estimates work →

Your human moat

◆

Physical dexterity in unpredictable settings

MEDIUM-HIGH

Combined with safety responsibility and on-site judgment, this keeps a human in the loop.

Strength7.9

Similar-role comparison

RoleRisk

Ship Engineers38%

Locomotive Engineers38%

Agricultural Equipment Operators36%

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners36%

Why this score?

✓The model evaluates 3 representative core tasks.

✓The role mixes repeatable work with human judgment.

✓Occupation and task language comes from O*NET 30.3.

✓The strongest human advantage is physical dexterity in unpredictable settings.

Research basis

O*NET 30.3 occupation tasks plus the ILO 2025 exposure framework. Scores are directional estimates.

Read ILO research →

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Will AI replace Ship Engineers?

Physical dexterity in unpredictable settings

Why this score?

Related Trades & Physical job reports