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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians

Part of Transportation, Distribution & Logistics, in the Facility and Mobile Equipment Maintenance pathway.

Bright outlookJob zone 3: medium preparationO*NET 49-3051.00

What the work is

Repair and adjust electrical and mechanical equipment of inboard or inboard-outboard boat engines.

On a typical day

  • Disassemble and inspect motors to locate defective parts, using mechanic's hand tools and gauges.
  • Mount motors to boats, and operate boats at various speeds on waterways to conduct operational tests.
  • Start motors and monitor performance for signs of malfunctioning, such as smoke, excessive vibration, or misfiring.
  • Document inspection and test results and work performed or to be performed.
  • Replace parts, such as gears, magneto points, piston rings, or spark plugs, and reassemble engines.
  • Idle motors and observe thermometers to determine the effectiveness of cooling systems.

What it pays

$53,290
Median pay per year, Texas (no San Antonio figure published)
New workers start near $36,600
Experienced workers reach $87,500
  1. $37k10th
  2. $45k25th
  3. $53kMedian
  4. $63k75th
  5. $88k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $36,600, 25th $45,220, Median $53,290, 75th $62,560, 90th $87,500

Job outlook

U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.

+6%

U.S. employment change

2,600

openings a year nationwide, from growth and people leaving

26,200

employed nationwide in 2024

Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent · Training: Long-term on-the-job training

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Repairing4.0
  2. Equipment Maintenance3.5
  3. Troubleshooting3.8
  4. Operation and Control3.4
  5. Operations Monitoring3.4
  6. Critical Thinking3.1
  7. Active Listening3.0
  8. Quality Control Analysis3.0

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. High school or less30%
  2. Certificate54%
  3. Some college12%
  4. Associate degree5%

Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

No Alamo program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

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