Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in Hawaii is $131,640/year ($63.29/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $94K at the entry level to $195K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.17), so that salary is closer to $119,488 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,240/month, or 28.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Hawaii. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $132K get you in Hawaii?
About ship engineers
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What this looks like in Hawaii
Hawaii sits well above the national pay line for ship engineers, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $110K. Rent runs $2,240/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.17), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hawaii
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $94K. Mid-career wages sit at $132K. Top earners bring in $195K or more, a $101K spread from bottom to top.
Ship Engineers salary by metro in Hawaii
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu | $132K | +0% | 60 |
Compare to other states
Track ship engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hawaii numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hawaii?
Yes — at the median salary of $132K, rent takes 29.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,240/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for ship engineers in Hawaii?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $94K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,619/month. At HUD’s $2,240/month FMR, rent would take 40% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is ship engineer a high-paying job in Hawaii?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $132K here vs. $110K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Hawaii compare to the national average for ship engineers?
Hawaii pays $132K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $119K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in Hawaii?
The median is $131,640 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $93,650, and experienced ship engineers can clear $194,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $132K enough to live in Hawaii?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,566/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,240/month, which eats 29.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a ship engineers salary go in Hawaii?
Hawaii has a Regional Price Parity of 110.17 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median ship engineers salary is worth about $119,488 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ship engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.