# Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians

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

- **SOC code:** 49-3051.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-3051-00
- **Also known as:** Marine Mechanic, Marine Technician, Mechanic, Service Technician, Boat Mechanic, Boat Motor Mechanic, Boat Rigger, Marine Propulsion Technician
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- 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.
- Mount motors to boats, and operate boats at various speeds on waterways to conduct operational tests.
- Repair engine mechanical equipment, such as power tilts, bilge pumps, or power take-offs.
- Perform routine engine maintenance on motorboats, such as changing oil and filters.
- 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.
- Inspect and repair or adjust propellers or propeller shafts.
- Adjust carburetor mixtures, electrical point settings, or timing while motors are running in water-filled test tanks.
- Set starter locks and align and repair steering or throttle controls, using gauges, screwdrivers, or wrenches.
- Disassemble and inspect motors to locate defective parts, using mechanic's hand tools and gauges.
- Adjust generators and replace faulty wiring, using hand tools and soldering irons.

**Emerging tasks** (O*NET):
- Explain repair procedures to customers.
- Repair or replace engine mechanical equipment, such as power tilts, water pumps, bilge pumps, or power take-offs.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Mechanical _(knowledge)_
- Repairing _(transferable_skill)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_
- Equipment Maintenance _(transferable_skill)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Troubleshooting _(transferable_skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Operation and Control _(transferable_skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Equipment Maintenance _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Equipment Selection _(Specialized Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Facebook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- CDI Electronics M.E.D.S.
- Engine diagnostic scanners
- Inventory tracking software
- Outboard engine diagnostic software
- Rinda Technologies DIACOM Marine

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 14th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 22nd percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 11th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 18th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 56th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 6.0% growth (About average); 2.6k annual openings; 26.2k → 27.8k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $54,950; 24,250 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

---
_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-3051-00_