Ocean Engineeringat Florida Institute of Technology
Graduates earn $68,475/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Ocean Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $830K; scenarios range from $722K to $862K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Florida Tech
Florida Tech's Ocean Engineering program offers a highly specialized pathway, benefiting significantly from its Melbourne location. Situated on Florida's Space Coast with direct access to the Atlantic, the university fosters strong ties with regional employers in maritime defense, coastal engineering, and marine technology. You'll find graduates contributing to projects involving naval architecture, underwater robotics, and coastal infrastructure, working with contractors like Northrop Grumman, Harris Corporation (now L3Harris), and various state and federal agencies focused on oceanographic research and coastal protection. While earnings may slightly trail the national average for this field, this can reflect regional labor market dynamics rather than program quality, often compensated by the quality of life and specific opportunities in this unique ecosystem. Given the evolving landscape and potential for AI to augment engineering tasks, actively pursuing internships and co-ops that develop project management and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills will be crucial for your long-term career resilience.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Florida Tech's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Ocean Engineering
How Florida Tech stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Florida Tech
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Florida Tech, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Ocean Engineering at Florida Tech
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Ocean Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology?
This program scores 58/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Ocean Engineering programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.
Will AI replace Ocean Engineering careers?
With 46% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $722,207 in decade earnings vs $861,877 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.