Best degree programs for Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians, ranked by enrollment
3 college programs and 69 schools train Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $57,550 median wage, 23,220 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
3 college programs at 69 schools train motorboat mechanics and service technicians, graduating 1,163 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician. The job pays a median of $57,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About motorboat mechanics and service technicians
Repair and adjust electrical and mechanical equipment of inboard or inboard-outboard boat engines.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
3 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 47.0616 | 918 | 78.9% | 48 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 2 | CIP 47.0606 | 182 | 15.6% | 24 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 3 | CIP 15.0806 | 63 | 5.4% | 4 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What motorboat mechanics and service technicians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $55,680 | 4,810 | 3.24× | 14 | 373 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $45,860 | 200 | 1.01× | 3 | 66 |
| Washingtonmoderate | $63,020 | 750 | 1.42× | 4 | 58 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $58,470 | 400 | 5.38× | 2 | 56 |
| Minnesotamoderate | $61,010 | 500 | 1.15× | 4 | 55 |
| Alabamalimited | $45,250 | 420 | 1.33× | 2 | 45 |
| Wisconsinmoderate | $56,920 | 690 | 1.58× | 4 | 45 |
| North Carolinalimited | $51,430 | 930 | 1.26× | 2 | 35 |
| Californiamoderate | $62,330 | 1,230 | 0.45× | 4 | 32 |
| Idaholimited | $47,740 | 100 | 0.82× | 1 | 28 |
| Georgialimited | $49,850 | 390 | 0.53× | 1 | 27 |
| Texasmoderate | $53,290 | 1,010 | 0.48× | 3 | 27 |
| Michiganlimited | $47,900 | 1,480 | 2.26× | 1 | 26 |
| South Carolinalimited | $49,080 | 620 | 1.82× | 1 | 19 |
| Mainelimited | $60,510 | 340 | 3.56× | 2 | 18 |
| Nebraskalimited | $45,400 | 80 | 0.50× | 2 | 17 |
| Pennsylvanialimited | $51,520 | 400 | 0.44× | 1 | 16 |
| New Yorklimited | $58,940 | 1,470 | 1.02× | 1 | 15 |
| Iowalimited | $49,930 | 110 | 0.49× | 2 | 13 |
| Oklahomalimited | $39,920 | 260 | 1.02× | 1 | 13 |
| Louisianalimited | $53,080 | 240 | 0.83× | 1 | 12 |
| Alaskalimited | $72,520 | 160 | 3.22× | 2 | 9 |
| Mississippilimited | $43,800 | 60 | 0.35× | 1 | 8 |
| North Dakotalimited | $60,990 | 70 | 1.11× | 1 | 7 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $56,160 | 180 | 1.77× | 1 | 6 |
| Ohiolimited | $52,450 | 400 | 0.48× | 1 | 5 |
| South Dakotalimited | $46,840 | 90 | 1.36× | 1 | 4 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Active Listening3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Monitoring2.9
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Writing2.5
- Active Learning2.4
- Mathematics2.3
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical4.8
- Customer and Personal Service3.9
- Computers and Electronics3.5
- English Language3.5
- Mathematics3.3
- Engineering and Technology3.3
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity3.9
- Inductive Reasoning3.8
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.8
- Deductive Reasoning3.8
- Manual Dexterity3.8
- Finger Dexterity3.6
Core activities
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.1
- Handling and Moving Objects4.1
- Getting Information4.0
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment4.0
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.0
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Motorboat Mechanic
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0806Marine Engineering Technology/Technician
- 47.0606Small Engine Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician
- 47.0616Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Motorboat Mechanic?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician, which awarded 918 degrees in 2024-25, 78.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Motorboat Mechanic?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 1,163 people a year.
How much do motorboat mechanics and service technicians earn?+
The median is $57,550 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $36,950 at the 10th percentile to $79,330 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for motorboat mechanics and service technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +6.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 2,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
69 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do motorboat mechanics and service technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Mechanic, Marine Mechanic, Marine Technician, Service Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 49-3051.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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