marine fitter
Snapshot
Do you enjoy working with your hands and thrive in a challenging, technical environment? As a marine fitter, you'll play a vital role in constructing and maintaining the structural integrity of commercial and naval vessels, ensuring they are safe and seaworthy.
Marine fitters are skilled professionals who focus on the fabrication, assembly, and final construction of various structural components found on ships. Your work is essential throughout the vessel’s lifecycle, from initial build to ongoing maintenance and repair. You’ll work with a variety of materials and techniques, often in a shipyard or dockyard setting, contributing directly to the creation of robust and reliable vessels.
- • Fabricating and welding structural steel components according to blueprints and specifications.
- • Assembling and installing hull sections, superstructures, masts, and other critical ship elements.
- • Performing quality checks and inspections to ensure adherence to safety regulations and industry standards.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Metal, machinery and related trades workers — 106 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia and 12 more.
Longest-running shortage: Austria, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Could marine fitter fit you?
Answer three quick questions. This is not a full assessment — it is a teaser to help you decide whether to compare your profile.
Do you enjoy tasks that require Attention to Detail?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Integrity?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Dependability?
Future Outlook for marine fitter
The outlook for marine fitter reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could marine fitter change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could marine fitter change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- comply with operational standards for vessels
- work as a team in a hazardous environment
- troubleshoot
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- inspect quality of products
- read standard blueprints
- read engineering drawings
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Supply Chain & Transportation
A typical day as a marine fitter
09 09:00 · Morning comply with operational standards for vessels
10 10:30 · Mid-morning use caulking tools
12 12:00 · Midday measure parts of manufactured products
14 14:00 · Afternoon operate metal fabricating machines
15 15:30 · Late afternoon cut metal products
17 17:00 · Wrap-up fabricate metal parts
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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manufacturing of metal structures
The production of metal structures for construction.
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types of maritime vessels
Various types of maritime vessels such as container ships, passenger ships and fishing vessels, and their characteristics and specifications, security, technical, and maintenance requirements.
- manufacturing processes
- marine technology
- metal forming technologies
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read standard blueprints
Read and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.
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read engineering drawings
Read the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.
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use technical documentation
Understand and use technical documentation in the overall technical process.
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operate drill press
Operate a semi-automated, semi-manual drill press to drill holes in a work piece, safely and according to regulations.
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tend lathe
Tend a lathe designed for cutting manufacturing processes on metal, wooden, plastic materials and others, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.
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inspect quality of products
Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
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troubleshoot
Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
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manipulate metal
Manipulate the properties, shape and size of metal.
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measure parts of manufactured products
Operate measurement instruments to measure parts of manufactured objects. Take into consideration specifications of manufacturers to perform the measuring.
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comply with operational standards for vessels
Make sure that the design and condition of the vessels are up to par for the operation.
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work as a team in a hazardous environment
Work together with others in a dangerous, sometimes noisy, environment, such as a building on fire or metal forging facilities, in order to achieve a higher degree of efficiency while heeding the co-workers' safety.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
See whether this role fits your Career DNA
Take the free Career DNA assessment to see how marine fitter aligns with your interests, work style, and future path. In less than 10 minutes, you will get a personalized fit signal and a roadmap for what to do next.
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Where does marine fitter fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of physical demands are involved in being a marine fitter?
- The role often requires prolonged periods of standing, bending, and lifting. Working in confined spaces and at heights is also common. A good level of physical fitness and stamina is beneficial.
- What skills are most important for a marine fitter to possess?
- Strong welding skills are fundamental. Equally important are blueprint reading, precision measurement, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to work effectively as part of a team. Attention to detail and a commitment to safety are crucial.
- Are there opportunities for career progression as a marine fitter?
- Yes. With experience, you can specialize in specific areas, such as hull fabrication or structural repair. Advancement possibilities include leading teams, becoming a quality control inspector, or progressing to supervisory roles.
- Marine Fitter — is there a shortage in Europe?
- Yes. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a shortage was reported in 16 of the 19 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia and 12 more. Austria has reported one for 4 consecutive years. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Marine Fitter — what does it pay in the United States?
- $49,900 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $29,320 to $64,760. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.