Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in Pittsburgh, PA is $73,550/year ($35.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $68K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.67), which stretches that salary to about $77,691 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,299/month, or 26.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $74K get you in Pittsburgh?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pittsburgh’s Regional Price Parity (94.67). 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 Pittsburgh
Pay for ship engineers in Pittsburgh runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $110K. Rent runs $1,299/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.67 (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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for ship engineers in metros near Pittsburgh, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $123K | $109K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pittsburgh, PA
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $68K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $24K 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
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 Pittsburgh numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pittsburgh?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 26.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,299/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for ship engineers in Pittsburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $68K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,084/month. At HUD’s $1,299/month FMR, rent would take 32% 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 Pittsburgh?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $74K here vs. $110K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pittsburgh compare to the national average for ship engineers?
Pittsburgh pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $78K — below the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median is $73,550 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $68,070, and experienced ship engineers can clear $92,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Pittsburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,823/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,299/month, which eats 26.9% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 94.67 (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 $77,691 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.