Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians
Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians (SOC 49-3051) earn a median $57,550 a year ($27.67 an hour) in the United States, with 23,220 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What motorboat mechanics and service technicians do
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians repair and adjust the electrical and mechanical equipment of inboard and inboard-outboard boat engines. They start motors and monitor performance for signs of malfunction such as smoke, excessive vibration or misfiring, and idle motors while watching thermometers to judge how well the cooling system works. Motors are mounted to boats, and the boats are operated at various speeds on waterways to conduct operational tests. Repairs cover engine mechanical equipment such as power tilts, bilge pumps and power take-offs, and parts such as gears, magneto points, piston rings and spark plugs are replaced before engines are reassembled. Propellers and propeller shafts are inspected and repaired or adjusted. Routine maintenance includes changing oil and filters, and results of inspections, tests and the work performed or still needed are documented. Boat mechanic, marine mechanic and outboard engine mechanic are among the listed titles. Diesel engine specialists and bus and truck mechanics (49-3031) are excluded.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a postsecondary certificate, meaning training completed after high school but short of a degree.
Also called: Boat Mechanic, Boat Motor Mechanic, Boat Outboard Engine Mechanic, Boat Rigger, Boat Tester.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.76 | $22.48 | $27.67 | $32.03 | $38.14 | $27.92 | 23,220 |
| Annual | $36,950 | $46,750 | $57,550 | $66,620 | $79,330 | $58,070 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where motorboat mechanics and service technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $27.41 | $30.02 | $37.38 | $40.03 | $47.05 | $37.16 | 150 | 0.25 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $57,000 | $62,450 | $77,740 | $83,260 | $97,860 | $77,300 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $23.24 | $28.94 | $35.66 | $37.84 | $45.43 | $34.09 | 890 | 0.25 | 1.64 |
| Annual | $48,340 | $60,190 | $74,160 | $78,710 | $94,500 | $70,900 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $26.90 | $30.29 | $34.86 | $44.58 | $49.07 | $36.39 | 160 | 0.48 | 3.22 |
| Annual | $55,950 | $63,000 | $72,520 | $92,720 | $102,070 | $75,680 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $25.62 | $29.67 | $34.78 | $35.83 | $37.84 | $33.14 | 50 | 0.18 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $53,290 | $61,700 | $72,350 | $74,530 | $78,710 | $68,940 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $19.85 | $26.31 | $34.56 | $38.00 | $38.00 | $32.56 | 250 | 0.06 | 0.39 |
| Annual | $41,290 | $54,720 | $71,880 | $79,030 | $79,040 | $67,710 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.77 | $22.47 | $26.77 | $30.00 | $37.08 | $27.48 | 4,810 | 0.48 | 3.24 |
| Annual | $36,960 | $46,740 | $55,680 | $62,400 | $77,120 | $57,160 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $13.39 | $17.98 | $23.03 | $28.32 | $30.78 | $23.52 | 1,480 | 0.34 | 2.26 |
| Annual | $27,840 | $37,400 | $47,900 | $58,900 | $64,020 | $48,920 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $23.53 | $25.20 | $28.34 | $34.62 | $40.03 | $30.15 | 1,470 | 0.15 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $48,940 | $52,410 | $58,940 | $72,020 | $83,260 | $62,720 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $22.69 | $27.27 | $29.97 | $35.39 | $39.10 | $31.55 | 1,230 | 0.07 | 0.45 |
| Annual | $47,190 | $56,730 | $62,330 | $73,600 | $81,320 | $65,630 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.60 | $21.74 | $25.62 | $30.08 | $42.07 | $27.55 | 1,010 | 0.07 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $36,600 | $45,220 | $53,290 | $62,560 | $87,500 | $57,310 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $23.48 | $30.00 | $37.52 | $39.84 | $47.05 | $36.31 | 100 | 0.23 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $48,840 | $62,400 | $78,040 | $82,870 | $97,860 | $75,520 | ||||
| Barnstable Town, MA | Hourly | $23.25 | $30.27 | $36.26 | $38.03 | $45.49 | $35.34 | 180 | 1.92 | 12.84 |
| Annual | $48,360 | $62,950 | $75,420 | $79,100 | $94,610 | $73,500 | ||||
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | Hourly | $26.30 | $29.68 | $35.13 | $35.83 | $36.19 | $32.57 | 30 | 0.27 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $54,710 | $61,740 | $73,080 | $74,530 | $75,270 | $67,740 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $23.33 | $28.50 | $35.00 | $37.86 | $45.20 | $33.99 | 490 | 0.18 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $48,520 | $59,280 | $72,790 | $78,750 | $94,010 | $70,700 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $26.43 | $28.53 | $34.43 | $38.65 | $42.60 | $34.48 | 90 | 0.07 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $54,980 | $59,330 | $71,620 | $80,400 | $88,610 | $71,720 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $18.09 | $22.83 | $28.60 | $32.16 | $37.74 | $28.32 | 1,670 | 0.59 | 3.97 |
| Annual | $37,630 | $47,480 | $59,490 | $66,890 | $78,510 | $58,900 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $26.80 | $28.20 | $29.84 | $38.00 | $40.39 | $32.64 | 940 | 0.10 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $55,740 | $58,650 | $62,070 | $79,030 | $84,010 | $67,890 | ||||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Hourly | $18.11 | $22.99 | $26.19 | $29.82 | $37.37 | $27.91 | 610 | 0.42 | 2.82 |
| Annual | $37,660 | $47,820 | $54,470 | $62,020 | $77,720 | $58,050 | ||||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | Hourly | $21.86 | $22.66 | $28.45 | $35.01 | $38.67 | $29.37 | 500 | 0.70 | 4.69 |
| Annual | $45,470 | $47,140 | $59,170 | $72,820 | $80,430 | $61,100 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $23.33 | $28.50 | $35.00 | $37.86 | $45.20 | $33.99 | 490 | 0.18 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $48,520 | $59,280 | $72,790 | $78,750 | $94,010 | $70,700 | ||||
Top industries employing motorboat mechanics and service technicians
Other Motor Vehicle Dealers employ 35.0% of motorboat mechanics and service technicians nationally (8,130 jobs) at a median $56,160 a year ($27.00 an hour), followed by Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (24.0%) and Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (17.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Motor Vehicle Dealers NAICS 441200 | 8,130 | 35.0% | $56,160 | $27.00 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance NAICS 811400 | 5,580 | 24.0% | $54,530 | $26.22 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 4,140 | 17.8% | $58,940 | $28.34 |
| Ship and Boat Building NAICS 336600 | 1,430 | 6.2% | $50,710 | $24.38 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation NAICS 488300 | 1,080 | 4.7% | $63,940 | $30.74 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (23,220). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,730 for motorboat mechanics and service technicians in May 2021 and $57,550 in May 2025, with employment of 23,080 and 23,220.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,730 | $22.46 | 23,080 |
| May 2022 | $48,280 | $23.21 | 24,920 |
| May 2023 | $49,990 | $24.04 | 23,230 |
| May 2024 | $54,950 | $26.42 | 24,250 |
| May 2025 | $57,550 | $27.67 | 23,220 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $37.38 | $77,740 | $57,000 | $97,860 | 150 | 0.25 | 1.65 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $35.66 | $74,160 | $48,340 | $94,500 | 890 | 0.25 | 1.64 |
| 3 | Alaska profile | $34.86 | $72,520 | $55,950 | $102,070 | 160 | 0.48 | 3.22 |
| 4 | Vermont profile | $34.78 | $72,350 | $53,290 | $78,710 | 50 | 0.18 | 1.21 |
| 5 | New Jersey profile | $34.56 | $71,880 | $41,290 | $79,040 | 250 | 0.06 | 0.39 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $31.95 | $66,460 | $54,980 | $88,410 | 140 | 0.07 | 0.47 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $30.52 | $63,480 | $48,000 | $79,410 | 560 | 0.33 | 2.22 |
| 8 | Virginia profile | $30.51 | $63,450 | $46,410 | $103,840 | ** | ** | ** |
| 9 | Washington profile | $30.30 | $63,020 | $47,370 | $93,810 | 750 | 0.21 | 1.42 |
| 10 | California profile | $29.97 | $62,330 | $47,190 | $81,320 | 1,230 | 0.07 | 0.45 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $29.33 | $61,010 | $46,460 | $78,780 | 500 | 0.17 | 1.15 |
| 12 | North Dakota profile | $29.32 | $60,990 | $46,500 | $74,490 | 70 | 0.17 | 1.11 |
| 13 | Maine profile | $29.09 | $60,510 | $45,450 | $75,190 | 340 | 0.53 | 3.56 |
| 14 | Maryland profile | $29.00 | $60,310 | $36,950 | $76,720 | 420 | 0.15 | 1.02 |
| 15 | Delaware profile | $28.96 | $60,230 | $39,750 | $70,790 | 130 | 0.27 | 1.78 |
| 16 | Arizona profile | $28.55 | $59,390 | $40,210 | $74,120 | 430 | 0.13 | 0.89 |
| 17 | New York profile | $28.34 | $58,940 | $48,940 | $83,260 | 1,470 | 0.15 | 1.02 |
| 18 | Rhode Island profile | $28.11 | $58,470 | $45,470 | $75,400 | 400 | 0.80 | 5.38 |
| 19 | Colorado profile | $27.43 | $57,050 | $48,160 | $83,610 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.12 |
| 20 | Wisconsin profile | $27.37 | $56,920 | $38,510 | $74,550 | 690 | 0.24 | 1.58 |
| 21 | New Hampshire profile | $27.00 | $56,160 | $42,940 | $70,810 | 180 | 0.26 | 1.77 |
| 22 | Florida profile | $26.77 | $55,680 | $36,960 | $77,120 | 4,810 | 0.48 | 3.24 |
| 23 | Texas profile | $25.62 | $53,290 | $36,600 | $87,500 | 1,010 | 0.07 | 0.48 |
| 24 | Louisiana profile | $25.52 | $53,080 | $31,330 | $71,880 | 240 | 0.12 | 0.83 |
| 25 | Ohio profile | $25.21 | $52,450 | $39,360 | $71,400 | 400 | 0.07 | 0.48 |
| 26 | Montana profile | $25.08 | $52,160 | $39,520 | $62,490 | 60 | 0.11 | 0.73 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania profile | $24.77 | $51,520 | $38,370 | $78,960 | 400 | 0.07 | 0.44 |
| 28 | North Carolina profile | $24.72 | $51,430 | $31,400 | $76,920 | 930 | 0.19 | 1.26 |
| 29 | Indiana profile | $24.62 | $51,200 | $35,860 | $72,650 | 450 | 0.14 | 0.94 |
| 30 | Kentucky profile | $24.48 | $50,920 | $32,580 | $123,410 | 360 | 0.18 | 1.21 |
| 31 | Iowa profile | $24.01 | $49,930 | $34,110 | $66,700 | 110 | 0.07 | 0.49 |
| 32 | Georgia profile | $23.97 | $49,850 | $36,860 | $76,070 | 390 | 0.08 | 0.53 |
| 33 | Nevada profile | $23.86 | $49,630 | $34,340 | $84,220 | ** | ** | ** |
| 34 | Tennessee profile | $23.62 | $49,120 | $39,650 | $60,880 | 200 | 0.06 | 0.41 |
| 35 | South Carolina profile | $23.60 | $49,080 | $30,770 | $64,620 | 620 | 0.27 | 1.82 |
| 36 | Michigan profile | $23.03 | $47,900 | $27,840 | $64,020 | 1,480 | 0.34 | 2.26 |
| 37 | Illinois profile | $23.00 | $47,840 | $38,630 | $59,780 | 360 | 0.06 | 0.40 |
| 38 | Idaho profile | $22.95 | $47,740 | $35,720 | $61,540 | 100 | 0.12 | 0.82 |
| 39 | Kansas profile | $22.94 | $47,720 | $26,080 | $57,770 | 90 | 0.07 | 0.44 |
| 40 | South Dakota profile | $22.52 | $46,840 | $31,970 | $56,560 | 90 | 0.20 | 1.36 |
| 41 | Utah profile | $22.34 | $46,470 | $29,140 | $59,290 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.26 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $22.05 | $45,860 | $34,940 | $64,280 | 200 | 0.15 | 1.01 |
| 43 | Nebraska profile | $21.83 | $45,400 | $31,210 | $65,890 | 80 | 0.08 | 0.50 |
| 44 | Alabama profile | $21.76 | $45,250 | $29,700 | $69,420 | 420 | 0.20 | 1.33 |
| 45 | Mississippi profile | $21.06 | $43,800 | $30,430 | $68,680 | 60 | 0.05 | 0.35 |
| 46 | Missouri profile | $20.95 | $43,580 | $29,470 | $77,670 | 330 | 0.11 | 0.75 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $19.19 | $39,920 | $25,010 | $60,850 | 260 | 0.15 | 1.02 |
| 48 | New Mexico profile | $17.55 | $36,510 | $30,130 | $40,030 | ** | ** | ** |
| 49 | West Virginia profile | $17.54 | $36,480 | $28,850 | $56,160 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.38 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (49-3050), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 49-3051 Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 49-3051, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 49-3051.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.