jobfacts

Boat builder

Boat and ship builders and repairers — SOC 2020 5235

Boat and ship builders and repairers construct, install and repair wooden structures and fittings, and shape, position, rivet and seal metal plates and girders to form the metal structures and frameworks for marine craft.

Also calledMarine craftspersonShipwrightMarine engineerMachinistBoat makerBarge builderand 41 more titles
Typical full-time pay£33,9002025 Provisional
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month90↓ 34%on last year · 392nd of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time boat builders earn, 2025
£33,900 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£33,900
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £33,900
South West!£34,200
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £33,900
South West£34,200 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 2 years
  • 2024 £33,700
  • 2025 Provisional£33,900
↑ 0.6% since 2024Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 90 jobs for boat builders are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 202699
Jul 2026102
Jun 202677
May 202672
Apr 202670
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 202680
Jan 202691
Dec 202592
Nov 2025110
Oct 2025121
Sept 202572
Aug 202587
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 202589
Apr 2025100
Mar 202590
Feb 2025101
Jan 2025101
Dec 202461
Nov 2024286
Oct 202492
Sept 2024300
Aug 202485
Jul 2024324
Jun 2024104
May 2024126
Apr 2024543
Mar 2024128
Feb 2024417
Jan 2024352
Dec 2023335
Nov 2023353
Oct 2023149
Sept 2023339
Aug 2023338
Jul 2023486
Jun 2023191
May 2023177
Apr 2023167
Mar 2023292
Feb 2023177
Jan 2023428
Dec 2022189
Nov 2022185
Oct 2022436
Sept 2022219
Aug 2022178
Jul 2022186
Jun 2022192
May 2022257
Apr 2022172
Mar 2022194
Feb 2022157
Jan 2022191
Dec 2021167
Nov 2021142
Oct 2021149
Sept 2021132
Aug 2021123
Jul 2021171
Jun 2021129
May 2021136
Apr 2021104
Mar 2021154
Feb 202194
Jan 202194
Dec 202084
Nov 202070
Oct 202089
Sept 202074
Aug 202065
Jul 202065
Jun 202061
May 202048
Apr 202096
Mar 2020110
Feb 2020145
Jan 2020148
Dec 2019119
Nov 2019135
Oct 2019165
Sept 2019132
Aug 2019121
Jul 2019139
Jun 2019153
May 2019159
Apr 2019131
Mar 2019145
Feb 2019146
Jan 2019169
Dec 2018109
Nov 2018125
Oct 2018118
Sept 2018107
Aug 2018109
Jul 2018106
Jun 2018123
May 2018117
Apr 2018106
Mar 2018136
Feb 2018115
Jan 2018133
Dec 201776
Nov 2017140
Oct 2017105
Sept 2017129
Aug 201782
Jul 201788
Jun 201799
May 2017117
Apr 2017121
Mar 2017163
Feb 2017104
Jan 2017136
Is there a shortage of boat builders?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedWell above usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
44%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for vehicle trades, which includes boat builders. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London35
Portsmouth15
Isle of Wight13
Plymouth13
Southampton12
Gosport9
Cornwall9
Broadland8
Glasgow City7
Birmingham6
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where boat builders are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 19 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Philippines, New Zealand, South Africa, ranking it 184th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of boat builders
n/p
n/p
64%!
n/p
n/p
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4464% (small sample)
45–54Not published
55–64Not published
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!53%
Higher education below degree!20%
A levels or equivalent!68%
GCSEs or equivalent!27%
Other qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent53% (small sample)
Higher education below degree20% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent68% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent27% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published

Main employers: building of pleasure and sporting boats (60%), defence activities (36%), building of ships and floating structures (24%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
53%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 68%
Apprenticeships
2
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
3½ years
typically
T Levels
1
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds

Routes in

Boat builder

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course to learn some of the skills you would need as a trainee, or to join an apprenticeship.

Courses include:

  • boat building
  • marine engineering
  • marine electrical engineering
  • T Level in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
  • T level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, for example:

  • Boatbuilder
  • Maritime Mechanical Fitter
  • Maritime Electrical Fitter
  • Maritime Pipeworker
  • Marine Engineer

These can take between 3 and 4 years to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Apply directly

You can apply directly if you've got relevant skills. Qualifications and experience in joinery, electrics, engineering, welding or plumbing can help.

Other routes

You may be able to take a course with a commercial boat building training provider. Training can range from short courses in marine electrics and joinery, through to full boat building programmes, lasting several months.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You'll need to be willing to move if necessary, as training providers and boat yards are located in coastal areas around the country.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a boat builder from the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and British Marine.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for boat builder. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Marine engineer

You can get into this job through:

University

You can complete a foundation degree or degree to become a marine engineer.

Courses include:

  • marine engineering
  • marine technology
  • naval architecture
  • offshore engineering
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including maths and a science for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, with an engineering company, for example:

  • Marine Engineer
  • Maritime Mechanical Fitter
  • Maritime Electrical Fitter
  • Marine Electrician

These can take between 3 and 4 years to complete and combine workplace training with off-site study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science

Work your way up

You could start by training as a marine engineering technician or engineering officer, with the Merchant Navy or Royal Navy.

You could then study for a marine engineering degree while working.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You may be able to apply for courses and training if you have experience and qualifications in science or engineering from different sectors.

Further information

You can find more advice about careers in marine engineering from:

  • Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology
  • British Marine
  • This is Engineering

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for marine engineer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
Engineering, manufacturing, processing and control​T Level3

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements
  • uses rules, scribes and punches to mark out metal plate with guidelines and reference points and cuts plates using appropriate tools
  • uses machine tools to bend, curve, punch, drill and straighten metal plate as required and positions and aligns metal platework or frame for welding and bolting
  • rivets together metal plates and girders, seals seams, smooths welds, fixes metal doors, collars, portholes, tank and hatch covers
  • selects and measures appropriate wood and cuts, shapes and drills to specification using saws, planes, chisels and other power or hand tools
  • aligns and fixes prepared wood pieces by screwing, nailing, gluing and dowelling to form decking, small wooden marine craft and their interiors and fittings
  • maintains and repairs woodwork and fittings

Skills

  • align components
  • apply health and safety standards
  • follow health and safety procedures in construction
  • follow safety procedures when working at heights
  • operate handheld riveting equipment
  • prepare pieces for joining
  • use power tools
  • use safety equipment in construction
  • work in a construction team
  • program a CNC controller
  • rig loads
  • tend riveting machine
  • adjust engineering designs
  • apply arc welding techniques

Knowledge

  • rivet types
  • types of metal
  • cutting technologies
  • design drawings
  • engineering principles
  • engineering processes
  • mechanical tools
  • mechanics

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades, a group of 23 jobs that includes boat builders.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 6.5%about 72,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035338,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.