Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
SOC Code: 49-3051
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians carries a 27% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $54,950 and +6.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 26,200 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 27% AI exposure, Motorboat mechanics and service technicians sits 10 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 22% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
68/100
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage D $54,950
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A- +6.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B+ 27% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Motorboat mechanics and service technicians in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Motorboat mechanics and service technicians sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Motorboat mechanics and service technicians sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
27% Among the lowest lower than 78% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 49-3051) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Motorboat mechanics and service technicians be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Motorboat mechanics and service technicians. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Start motors and monitor performance for signs of malfunctioning, such as smoke, excessive vibration, or misfiring.
- 2. Document inspection and test results and work performed or to be performed.
- 3. Mount motors to boats, and operate boats at various speeds on waterways to conduct operational tests.
- 4. Repair engine mechanical equipment, such as power tilts, bilge pumps, or power take-offs.
- 5. Perform routine engine maintenance on motorboats, such as changing oil and filters.
- 6. Replace parts, such as gears, magneto points, piston rings, or spark plugs, and reassemble engines.
- 7. Idle motors and observe thermometers to determine the effectiveness of cooling systems.
- 8. Inspect and repair or adjust propellers or propeller shafts.
- 9. Adjust carburetor mixtures, electrical point settings, or timing while motors are running in water-filled test tanks.
- 10. Set starter locks and align and repair steering or throttle controls, using gauges, screwdrivers, or wrenches.
Key Skills Required
- Repairing
- Equipment Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Equipment Selection
- Quality Control Analysis
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Transportation
- Administration and Management
- Physics
- Education and Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Motorboat mechanics and service technicians?
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians has an AI exposure score of 27%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Motorboat mechanics and service technicians?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Motorboat mechanics and service technicians is projected to grow by 6.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 26,200 workers.
What skills are needed for Motorboat mechanics and service technicians?
Key skills for Motorboat mechanics and service technicians include Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Motorboat mechanics and service technicians earn?
The median annual wage for Motorboat mechanics and service technicians is $54,950, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Motorboat mechanics and service technicians?
The typical entry-level education for Motorboat mechanics and service technicians is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Motorboat mechanics and service technicians?
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Motorboat mechanics and service technicians: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (27% here).
- Civil engineers · AI exposure 27%
- Clinical and counseling psychologists · AI exposure 27%
- Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders · AI exposure 27%
- Concierges · AI exposure 27%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+6.0% here).
- Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers, all other · growth +6.0%
- First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers · growth +6.0%
- Motor vehicle operators, all other · growth +6.0%
- Private detectives and investigators · growth +6.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 35 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Motorboat mechanics and service technicians' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Motorboat mechanics and service technicians side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).