Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in Mobile, AL is $95,540/year ($45.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $91K at the entry level to $114K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.1), which stretches that salary to about $108,445 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,083/month, or 17.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $96K get you in Mobile?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Mobile’s Regional Price Parity (88.1). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Mobile
Pay for ship engineers in Mobile runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $110K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,083/month, 18.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.1 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Mobile can be a reasonable trade-off for ship engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for ship engineers in metros near Mobile, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $130K | $114K |
| Jacksonville | $131K | $131K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Mobile, AL
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $91K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $114K or more, a $23K 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 Mobile numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Mobile?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 18.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,083/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for ship engineers in Mobile?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $91K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,485/month. At HUD’s $1,083/month FMR, rent would take 20% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is ship engineer a high-paying job in Mobile?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $96K here vs. $110K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Mobile compare to the national average for ship engineers?
Mobile pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.1), the purchasing-power equivalent is $108K — below the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in Mobile, AL?
The median is $95,540 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $91,410, and experienced ship engineers can clear $114,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in Mobile?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,916/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,083/month, which eats 18.3% 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 Mobile?
Mobile has a Regional Price Parity of 88.1 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median ship engineers salary is worth about $108,445 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.