Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in Pennsylvania is $80,210/year ($38.56/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $127K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $84,458 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,351/month, or 26.1% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $80K get you in Pennsylvania?
About ship engineers
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Pay for ship engineers in Pennsylvania runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $110K. Rent runs $1,351/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $127K or more, a $63K spread from bottom to top.
Ship Engineers salary by metro in Pennsylvania
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $74K | -8% | 30 |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 26% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for ship engineers in Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,839/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Pennsylvania?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $80K here vs. $110K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for ship engineers?
Pennsylvania pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — below the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $80,210 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,990, and experienced ship engineers can clear $126,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,196/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 26% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $84,458 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.