Marine Transportation
Transportation & Materials Moving
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $117,176 | $111,742 to $122,280 | 7 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +4% (2025 to 2035), about 5,400 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $92,460 | +4% | 3,800 |
| Ship Engineers | $109,530 | +2.7% | 900 |
| Commercial Divers | $72,990 | +4.8% | 400 |
| Motorboat Operators | $47,520 | +4.9% | 300 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a marine transportation program, of 24 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Divers Institute of Technology
- Commercial Diving Technologies Institute
- Ocean Corporation
- United States Merchant Marine Academy
- SUNY Maritime College
- Commercial Divers International
- Texas A&M University-College Station
- Cal Poly Maritime Academy
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.