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Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

performing monitoring activities to ensure that ships comply with international regulations and standards for life-saving equipment and pollution preventatives, preparing or directing the preparation and evaluating performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI is already taking a real slice of the routine work here: preparing technical reports. That is a slice of tasks, not of you.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

That slice is not coming back; the core of the job, evaluating performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards, stays yours. The tools change, the responsibility doesn't.

Your week, as this page understands it

Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems. The job title says “marine engineers” or “naval architects”: officially one job, two names. The real job is the part underneath: evaluating performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But marine engineers and naval architects is not one task. It is 30 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is evaluating performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI
22%
changing shape
25%
staying human
53%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 34 out of 100 (29–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, across 30 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for marine engineers and naval architects is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

Shifting to AI

7 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

  • Preparing technical reports

    This is reading one thing and writing another: technical reports in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Prepare technical reports for use by engineering, management, or sales personnel.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Technical reports are structured writing built from data already held, which software drafts well.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Preparing plans, estimates, design and construction schedules and contract specifications, including any special provisions

    This is reading one thing and writing another: plans, estimates in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Prepare plans, estimates, design and construction schedules, and contract specifications, including any special provisions.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (59–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Plans, schedules and contract specifications follow standard formats software can draft from project data.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Studying design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of craft

    This is reading one thing and writing another: design proposals in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Study design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of craft, such as size, weight, speed, propulsion, displacement, and draft.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (59–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Reading proposals to pull out size, speed and displacement figures is document work software handles well.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Analyzing data to determine feasibility of product proposals

    This is reading one thing and writing another: data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Analyze data to determine feasibility of product proposals.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (59–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Feasibility analysis is number work on documented data, well suited to software.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

7 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

  • Maintaining contact with and formulate reports

    The software now makes the first pass at contact, but the part that matters is a person saying it and standing behind it. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Maintain contact with, and formulate reports for, contractors and clients to ensure completion of work at minimum cost.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 53 out of 100 (46–60 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Reports draft easily, but keeping clients and contractors on side depends on the relationship.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Conducting analyses of ships, such as stability, structural, weight and vibration analyses

    The software now makes the first pass at analyses of ships, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Conduct analyses of ships, such as stability, structural, weight, and vibration analyses.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Stability and structural analysis runs on established software, but a qualified engineer signs the numbers.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Preparing or directing the preparation

    The software now makes the first pass at the preparation, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Prepare, or direct the preparation of, product or system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 50 out of 100 (43–57 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Software produces useful draft drawings and schematics, but engineers still rework the detail.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

16 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

  • Evaluating performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards

    This work happens in the physical world: performance of craft during dock, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Evaluate performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (4–12 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Judging how a craft behaves on sea trials means being aboard while it runs.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Performing monitoring activities to ensure that ships comply with international regulations and standards for life-saving equipment and pollution preventatives

    This work happens in the physical world: activities, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Perform monitoring activities to ensure that ships comply with international regulations and standards for life-saving equipment and pollution preventatives.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (4–12 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Confirming a ship meets safety and pollution rules means inspecting the equipment aboard.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Inspecting marine equipment and machinery to draw up work requests and job specifications

    This work happens in the physical world: marine equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Inspect marine equipment and machinery to draw up work requests and job specifications.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (6–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Writing the work request starts with physically inspecting the machinery.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Show the other 20 tasks

  • Maintaining records of engineering department activities

    shifting to AI

    This is reading one thing and writing another: records of engineering department activities in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Maintain records of engineering department activities, including expense records and details of equipment maintenance and repairs.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 81 out of 100 (77–85 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Maintaining department records and expense details is structured record-keeping software handles well.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Reviewing work requests and comparing them with previous work completed on ships to ensure that costs are economically sound

    shifting to AI

    This is reading one thing and writing another: work requests in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Review work requests and compare them with previous work completed on ships to ensure that costs are economically sound.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Comparing a work request against past jobs and costs is record comparison software does quickly.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Scheduling machine overhauls and the servicing

    shifting to AI

    This is reading one thing and writing another: machine overhauls in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 3 · Supplemental
    Source: “Schedule machine overhauls and the servicing of electrical, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, and sewage systems.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Overhaul scheduling is planning from maintenance records, which software organizes reliably.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Determining conditions under which tests

    changing shape

    The software now makes the first pass at conditions, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Determine conditions under which tests are to be conducted, as well as sequences and phases of test operations.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 50 out of 100 (43–57 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Test conditions and sequences follow published standards, so software can propose a workable plan.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Procuring materials needed to repair marine equipment and machinery

    changing shape

    The software now makes the first pass at materials, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Procure materials needed to repair marine equipment and machinery.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 48 out of 100 (41–55 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Sourcing parts against a specification is catalog and pricing work software does well.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Designing layout of craft interior

    changing shape

    The software now makes the first pass at layout of craft interior, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Design layout of craft interior, including cargo space, passenger compartments, ladder wells, and elevators.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Interior layout is design judgment a qualified engineer approves, though software can propose arrangements.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Establishing arrangement of boiler room equipment and propulsion machinery

    changing shape

    The software now makes the first pass at arrangement of boiler room equipment, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Establish arrangement of boiler room equipment and propulsion machinery, heating and ventilating systems, refrigeration equipment, piping, and other functional equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Arranging machinery spaces is design work a qualified engineer must stand behind.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Conducting analytical, environmental, operational or performance studies to develop designs

    staying human

    The ratings behind this row put analytical, environmental, operational or performance studies well outside what today's tools can do on their own.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Conduct analytical, environmental, operational, or performance studies to develop designs for products, such as marine engines, equipment, and structures.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Design studies lean on documented methods and modeling, though the engineering judgment stays human.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Designing complete hull and superstructure according to specifications and testing data

    staying human

    The rules require a named, qualified person to answer for complete hull, and that person cannot be a piece of software.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Design complete hull and superstructure according to specifications and test data, in conformity with standards of safety, efficiency, and economy.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 30 out of 100 (23–37 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Hull design is original engineering a qualified naval architect must own, though software assists heavily.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Acting as liaisons between ships' captains and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets

    staying human

    The value here is that a specific person handles liaisons and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Act as liaisons between ships' captains and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets are maintained, and that ships are operated safely and efficiently.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 26 out of 100 (19–33 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Bridging ship and shore works because both sides trust the person in the middle.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Conferring with research personnel to clarify or resolve problems and to develop or modify designs

    staying human

    The value here is that a specific person handles research personnel and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Confer with research personnel to clarify or resolve problems and to develop or modify designs.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 20 out of 100 (13–27 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Sorting out design problems with colleagues is a back-and-forth between people who trust each other.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Coordinating activities with regulatory bodies to ensure repairs and alterations are at minimum cost and consistent with safety

    staying human

    The rules require a named, qualified person to answer for activities, and that person cannot be a piece of software.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Coordinate activities with regulatory bodies to ensure repairs and alterations are at minimum cost and consistent with safety.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 17 out of 100 (10–24 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Working things through with regulators depends on trusted dealings between accountable professionals.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Designing and overseeing testing installation and repairing of marine apparatus and equipment

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: installation, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Design can be assisted, but overseeing installation and repair puts you in the yard.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Supervising other engineers and crew members and training them for routine and emergency duties

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: other engineers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Supervise other engineers and crew members and train them for routine and emergency duties.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (6–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Supervising and training crew for emergencies depends on being with them.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Evaluating operation of marine equipment during acceptance testing and shakedown cruises

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: operation of marine equipment during acceptance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Evaluate operation of marine equipment during acceptance testing and shakedown cruises.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (5–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Acceptance testing on a shakedown cruise requires being there while the equipment runs.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Investigating and observing tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with standards

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: tests, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Investigate and observe tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with standards.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (4–12 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Witnessing compliance tests means being present while the machine is run.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Overseeing construction and testing of prototype in model basin and developing sectional and waterline curves of hull to establish center of gravity

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: construction, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Oversee construction and testing of prototype in model basin and develop sectional and waterline curves of hull to establish center of gravity, ideal hull form, and buoyancy and stability data.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 7 out of 100 (3–11 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Model basin work and prototype testing needs the physical model in the tank.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Maintaining and coordinating repair of marine machinery and equipment for installation on vessels

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: repair of marine machinery, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Maintain and coordinate repair of marine machinery and equipment for installation on vessels.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 6 out of 100 (0–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Coordinating repairs still means going to the machinery and the yard.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Checking, testing and maintaining automatic controls and alarm systems

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: automatic controls, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Check, test, and maintain automatic controls and alarm systems.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Checking and maintaining alarm systems means hands on the panels and sensors.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Conducting environmental, operational or performance tests on marine machinery and equipment

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: environmental, operational or performance tests, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Conduct environmental, operational, or performance tests on marine machinery and equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Testing marine machinery means running it and being next to it.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay
$112,230a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this

Source: bls-oews

Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

Rounding: Shown as published.

People doing this job
8,250in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: technical reports in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: preparing technical reports and preparing plans, estimates. What it cannot do is be answerable: performance of craft during dock needs a named person the rules will accept, and software cannot be that person. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Your week is splitting in two, and which half fills it is the whole question. Preparing technical reports is going; evaluating performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards is not.

So, given all that: 22% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 25% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 53% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 30 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

The occupation is an average and you are not, so the first job below is finding out where your own week actually sits.

This week: one thing

Print the task ledger above and put your own hours next to each row. Roughly, in pen, in one sitting. Then look at which group your hours actually pile up in. Twenty minutes, this week.

What you end up holding
your own week, on one page, sorted into what is shifting and what is not
How long it takes
about twenty minutes

If printing it isn’t practical: Read the rows off this page and write the same list on the back of an envelope. Same twenty minutes, same page, and it works just as well said out loud to someone who knows the job. The point is your hours next to the rows, not the paper it is on.

Over the next 90 days

Volunteer toward the durable end, visibly. Over the next ninety days put your hand up for the work in the bottom group (evaluating performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards) and let people see you doing it. Not a new project: the same job, with your mix deliberately tilted. The point is that when the rota or the reorganisation comes, the version of you people picture is the one doing the part that stays.

Over the next 12 months

Claim a specialism at the durable end and let the other end go. Over a year, deliberately become the person who handles evaluating performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards, and deliberately stop being the first choice for the rows in the top group. That trade costs something, because the exposed work is often the comfortable work. Decide it on purpose rather than by drift. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to marine engineers and naval architects (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was ship engineers: only about 8% of its durable work is work you already do. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 34/100 here, with only 22% of the task list in the top band, and “maintain contact with, and formulate reports for, contractors and clients to ensure…” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

  • Ship Engineers

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already perform monitoring activities to ensure that ships comply with international regulations and standards…, and their equivalent is to monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to…. Across both published task lists that is about 8% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 8% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Electrical Engineers

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already investigate and observe tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with standards, and their equivalent is to inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment…. Across both published task lists that is about 4% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 4% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Petroleum Engineers

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already confer with research personnel to clarify or resolve problems and to develop or…, and their equivalent is to confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing…. Across both published task lists that is about 3% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 3% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

  • The headline number you read somewhere

    The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 22% of its task weight, across 30 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.

  • The whole-job doom story

    Nothing on this page says this job ends. It says the mix inside it moves. Half the rows above are unchanged or changing shape, and the plan is about which half your week sits in. That is a very different problem, and a solvable one.

  • Panic-buying a course

    Do the twenty-minute sorting exercise first. Most people who buy a course before they have done it buy the wrong one, and the free services listed below will tell you the same thing without charging for it.

  • The “obvious” next job everyone suggests

    I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Mechanical engineers (professional) is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Mechanical engineers (professional) and Aerospace engineers. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for marine engineers / naval architects, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 22% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for marine engineers / naval architects. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for marine engineers / naval architects launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for marine engineers / naval architects yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for marine engineers / naval architects existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for marine engineers / naval architects launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Marine Engineers and Naval Architects?
Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 30 official task statements scored for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (United States, SOC 17-2121), 22% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 34 out of 100 (range 29–40, band: low). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Marine Engineers and Naval Architects” can AI already do?
The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Maintain records of engineering department activities, including expense records and details of equipment maintenance and repairs” (81/100, very high); “Prepare technical reports for use by engineering, management, or sales personnel” (75/100, high); “Review work requests and compare them with previous work completed on ships to ensure that costs are economically sound” (75/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Marine Engineers and Naval Architects” stay human?
About 53% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Conduct environmental, operational, or performance tests on marine machinery and equipment” (0/100, minimal); “Check, test, and maintain automatic controls and alarm systems” (0/100, minimal); “Maintain and coordinate repair of marine machinery and equipment for installation on vessels” (6/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Marine Engineers and Naval Architects” do about AI?
Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 22% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 53% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects calculated?
Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 30 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

  • The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
  • 2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
  • Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
Task statements
onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights
onet-db (im-rt)
Scores
Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment
bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.