How much does a motorboat mechanics and service technician make?

The median pay is $27.67 per hour — roughly $57,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.76/hr (10th percentile) to $38.14/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a motorboat mechanics and service technician?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a motorboat mechanics and service technician actually do all 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.

Installation & Repair

Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians

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

What it pays
Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians earn a median of $27.67/hr — about $57,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.76/hr; the top 10% earn $38.14/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 7.9% of motorboat mechanics and service technicians are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.

Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a motorboat mechanics and service technician make?: The median pay is $27.67 per hour — roughly $57,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.76/hr (10th percentile) to $38.14/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a motorboat mechanics and service technician?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a motorboat mechanics and service technician actually do all 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.