Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL is $129,700/year ($62.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $152K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 114.16), so that salary is closer to $113,612 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,436/month, or 29.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $130K get you in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach’s Regional Price Parity (114.16). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About ship engineers
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What this looks like in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach sits well above the national pay line for ship engineers, local pay runs about 18% higher than the U.S. median of $110K. Rent runs $2,436/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 114.16), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for ship engineers in metros near Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | $131K | $131K |
| Mobile | $96K | $108K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $130K. Top earners bring in $152K or more, a $88K spread from bottom to top.
Ship Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Ship Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $134K | +22% | 550 |
| Hawaii | $132K | +20% | 70 |
| Florida | $130K | +19% | 1,260 |
| Texas | $128K | +17% | 660 |
| Massachusetts | $123K | +12% | 150 |
| Indiana | $122K | +12% | 210 |
| Kentucky | $121K | +10% | N/A |
| Rhode Island | $119K | +9% | 50 |
| Connecticut | $119K | +9% | 50 |
| New Jersey | $118K | +8% | 170 |
| Illinois | $115K | +5% | 110 |
| Washington | $108K | -1% | 730 |
| Louisiana | $103K | -6% | 610 |
| Mississippi | $98K | -10% | 140 |
| South Carolina | $98K | -11% | 80 |
| California | $98K | -11% | 610 |
| Alabama | $96K | -12% | 50 |
| Oregon | $89K | -19% | 80 |
| Alaska | $88K | -19% | 420 |
| Virginia | $82K | -25% | 1,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $80K | -27% | 90 |
| Michigan | $79K | -28% | 100 |
| Maine | $77K | -30% | 30 |
| North Carolina | $65K | -41% | 90 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track ship engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Yes — at the median salary of $130K, rent takes 29.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for ship engineers in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,792/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $130K here vs. $110K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 14% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach compare to the national average for ship engineers?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $130K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $114K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The median is $129,700 a year, that works out to about $62 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,200, and experienced ship engineers can clear $151,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $130K enough to live in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,284/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 29.4% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (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 $113,612 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.