Ship Engineers pay range in Houston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,210 a year or less, while the top 10% make $150,730 or more. The middle half of ship engineers in Houston earn between $116,350 and $140,070.
- $95K10th
- $116K25th
- $131KMedian
- $140K75th
- $151K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $127,070 | $10,589 | $61.09 |
| Median | $131,260 | $10,938 | $63.11 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $116,350 | $9,696 | $55.94 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $140,070 | $11,672 | $67.34 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Ship Engineers pay in Houston vs. Texas and the U.S.
Ship engineers in Houston earn 3% more than the Texas average ($123,260) and 14% more than the U.S. average ($111,790). At the median the gap is +20% against the U.S. median of $109,530.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | $127,070 | $131,260 | $95,210 | $150,730 | 520 |
| Texas | $123,260 | $127,810 | $93,560 | $150,460 | 660 |
| United States | $111,790 | $109,530 | $57,870 | $165,490 | 8,400 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Ship Engineers salary after taxes in Houston
On the average salary of $127,070, a single filer in Houston takes home about $98,118 a year, or $8,177 a month and $3,774 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Houston a good place for ship engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Houston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.6), so the average $127,070 buys what about $128,836 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Houston ($49,410). A typical home costs $308,306, or 2.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Ship Engineers salary in other Texas cities
Houston ranks 1st of 2 Texas metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Houston$127,070
- Corpus Christi$103,080
Highest-paying cities for ship engineers
New Orleans, LA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($151,960).
- New Orleans, LA$151,960
- Honolulu, HI$135,380
- San Francisco, CA$130,570
- Houston, TX$127,070
- New York, NY$126,400
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Ship Engineers salary in Houston: questions
How much do ship engineers make an hour in Houston?
$61.09 an hour on average, and $63.11 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level ship engineers salary in Houston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,210 a year and the 25th percentile is $116,350, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the ship engineers take-home pay in Houston?
About $98,118 a year ($8,177 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $127,070. Texas has no state income tax.
Do ship engineers earn more in Houston than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% more than the U.S. average for this job ($111,790).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-5031; area Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (26420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.94, this job is 2.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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