How much does a Chief Engineer make hourly?

As of April 01, 2025, the average hourly pay of Chief Engineer in the United States is $119. While Salary.com is seeing that Chief Engineer salary in the US can go up to $143 or down to $100, but most earn between $109 and $132. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Chief Engineer in the United States.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Chief Engineer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Hourly Pay Rate Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $100 US April 01, 2025
25th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $109 US April 01, 2025
50th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $119 US April 01, 2025
75th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $132 US April 01, 2025
90th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $143 US April 01, 2025
25% $109 10% $100 90% $143 75% $132 $119 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is a Chief Engineer ?

A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the seniormost engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and responsibility of that department. As a person who holds one of the most senior roles on the ship, he or she must have excellent communication and leadership skills. He or she will be expected to regularly work alongside other crew members and external consultants, and most importantly, provide guidance his or her team. To be a chief engineer, an engineer must attain a chief engineer's license appropriate ...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/17/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Chief Engineer.

Job Openings for Chief Engineer

Career Path for this job

  1. Down a level:

    VP of Engineering


    Bachelor's Degree

  2. This Job:

    Chief Engineer


    Bachelor's Degree

Understand the total hourly compensation opportunity for a Chief Engineer, hourly wage plus other pay elements

Average Hourly Wage

Core compensation

 
 
 
109
132
119

Average Total Hourly Cash Compensation

Includes base and short-term incentives

 
 
 
109
132
119
These charts show the average hourly wage (core compensation), as well as the average total hourly cash compensation for the job of Chief Engineer in the United States. The average hourly rate for Chief Engineer ranges from $109 to $132 with the average hourly pay of $119. The total hourly cash compensation, which includes base and short-term incentives, can vary anywhere from $109 to $132 with the average total hourly cash compensation of $119.

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109
132

 

Jobs with a similar salary range to Chief Engineer : Chief Engineer Officer