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Fisheries engineering technician

Also called fisheries electrician, refrigeration plant engineer, fishing boat freezer engineer

Fisheries engineering technicians perform maintenance and repair machines and equipment in the fish hold and refrigeration system on board of fishing vessels.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects27 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Science and engineering associate professionalsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,600 (Bulgaria) to €6,500 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Science and engineering associate professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually post-secondary or a short degree4 in 10 have a degree. 6 in 10 train through vocational routes.Science and engineering associate professionalsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Ships' engineers · ILO

What you'd do

Ships' engineers · ILO
  • Controlling and participating in the operation, maintenance and repair of mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment and machinery on board ship
  • Ordering fuel and other engine-room department stores and maintaining record of operations
  • Performing technical supervision of the installation, maintenance and repair of ship‚Äôs machinery and equipment to ensure compliance with specifications and regulations
  • Inspecting and conducting maintenance and emergency repairs to engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment
  • Standing engine room watch, monitoring and noting performance of engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment
Use maritime EnglishExtinguish firesEnsure vessel compliance with regulationsSurvive at sea in the event of ship abandonmentApprove engineering design+ 4 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Constant contact with people, mostly with colleagues
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Very repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the related, broader US job "Food Science Technicians"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as science and engineering associate professionals in the EU
7.4m7.3m7.49m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
142,000 new jobs 1,835,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Science and engineering associate professionals27
All jobs29
Right now
5 of 27 countries report a shortage of ships' engineers, 4 a surplus.
Ships' engineers · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,600 a month (Bulgaria) to €6,500 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among technicians and associate professionals in the EU, women earn 16% less per hour than men. Technicians and associate professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually post-secondary or a short degree

Post-secondary training or a short degree in mechanics and metal trades is the usual route.

Highest qualification of science and engineering associate professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 41%Vocational 43%General secondary 7%Basic schooling 9%
Fields that teach it
Mechanics and metal trades · Law · Fisheries
Vocational route, EU
6 in 10 trainees in this field
Engineering graduates in a matching job
73% in the EU

949 institutions in the EU offer engineering bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.23 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 5 tasks
Ordering fuel and other engine-room department stores and maintaining record of operations0.31
Performing technical supervision of the installation, maintenance and repair of ship’s machinery and equipment to ensure compliance with specifications and regulations0.24
Standing engine room watch, monitoring and noting performance of engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment0.23
Controlling and participating in the operation, maintenance and repair of mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment and machinery on board ship0.20
Inspecting and conducting maintenance and emergency repairs to engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment0.17

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for ships' engineers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).