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Ship Engineer

Logistics

Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.

Logistics & Supply ChainMechanical Engineering

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA port, or out at sea

  • Outdoors most days, in all weather
  • Rarely dealing with the public
  • Shifts or irregular hours
  • A noisy workplace

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

In Malaysia

Malaysian marine engineers mostly work on tankers, LNG carriers, offshore support vessels and coastal ships for companies such as MISC and offshore contractors, typically on rotations of several months at sea. Career progression is tied to Marine Department CoC grades rather than job titles. Government roles exist at the Marine Department, where holding a Chief Engineer CoC gives a higher starting salary.

How people get into it here
SPM (Maths & Physics) → Diploma in Marine Engineering at ALAM (3.5 years including sea time) or a marine engineering degree → Certificate of Competency as Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch from the Marine Department → sea service → higher CoC (Second Engineer → Chief Engineer).
Demand
'Ship Engineers' is listed as a critical occupation in MyCOL 2024/2025. TalentCorp MyCOL 2024/2025

Sources:alam.edu.mystudymalaysia.comspa.gov.mymarine21.marine.gov.my

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Commercial Pilot

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma
The full route to this careerThe steps from school, UPU programmes and sourced costs, read against your answers.

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months
Compare routes against your results and interests

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

Quick answers

How do you become a Ship Engineer in Malaysia?

SPM (Maths & Physics) → Diploma in Marine Engineering at ALAM (3.5 years including sea time) or a marine engineering degree → Certificate of Competency as Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch from the Marine Department → sea service → higher CoC (Second Engineer → Chief Engineer). Registration with Jabatan Laut Malaysia (Marine Department), Certificate of Competency under the Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) Rules is required to practise.

What should I study to become a Ship Engineer?

Related fields of study: Logistics & Supply Chain and Mechanical Engineering. SPM subjects that help most: Mechanical Engineering Studies, Physics, Design & Technology (RBT) and English.

How much does a Ship Engineer earn in Malaysia?

We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Ship Engineer pay, so we show no figure.

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff.
  2. 2Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed.
  3. 3Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified.
  4. 4Start engines to propel ships, and regulate engines and power transmissions to control speeds of ships, according to directions from captains or bridge computers.
  5. 5Perform or participate in emergency drills, as required.
  6. 6Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks.
  7. 7Maintain or repair engines, electric motors, pumps, winches, or other mechanical or electrical equipment, or assist other crew members with maintenance or repair duties.
  8. 8Maintain complete records of engineering department activities, including machine operations.
  9. 9Operate or maintain off-loading liquid pumps or valves.
  10. 10Maintain electrical power, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, or sewerage systems.
  11. 11Install engine controls, propeller shafts, or propellers.
  12. 12Clean engine parts and keep engine rooms clean.
  13. 13Record orders for changes in ship speed or direction, and note gauge readings or test data, such as revolutions per minute or voltage output, in engineering logs or bellbooks.
  14. 14Order and receive engine room stores, such as oil or spare parts, maintain inventories, and record usage of supplies.
  15. 15Act as a liaison between a ship's captain and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets are maintained and that the ship is operated safely and efficiently.
  16. 16Supervise marine engine technicians engaged in the maintenance or repair of mechanical or electrical marine vessels, and inspect their work to ensure that it is performed properly.
  17. 17Fabricate engine replacement parts, such as valves, stay rods, or bolts, using metalworking machinery.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • OICEW
  • Engineer
  • Deck Engineer
  • Port Engineer
  • Ship Engineer
  • Barge Engineer
  • Ferry Engineer
  • Ship Engineers
  • Harbor Engineer
  • Marine Mechanic

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Mechanical90%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • English Language71%

    English

  • Engineering and Technology70%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Public Safety and Security69%
  • Transportation66%
  • Mathematics65%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Hands-on work with tools or objectsMost of the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Use drone technology for ship inspections, maintenance, or other tasks.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

On Malaysia's official shortage list

TalentCorp and ILMIA's Critical Occupations List, evidence of a real hiring shortage in Malaysia right now.

Ship Engineers · Shortage indicators met: INSUFFICIENT DATA

What beginner adverts asked for

We read 11 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.

11 of 11 were internships

Allowance or pay, when stated

RM850 – RM1,200

6 of 11 adverts printed an amount: usually between RM850 and RM1,200 a month. Many print none.

Languages named

Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia

An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Ship Engineers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org