Naval Architect
A Naval Architect designs, develops, and oversees the construction of ships, submarines, and other marine vessels for military, commercial, or research purposes. They apply principles of hydrodynamics, structural engineering, and maritime regulation to ensure vessels meet performance, safety, and operational requirements.
What this job is
A Naval Architect designs, develops, and oversees the construction of ships, submarines, and other marine vessels for military, commercial, or research purposes. They apply principles of hydrodynamics, structural engineering, and maritime regulation to ensure vessels meet performance, safety, and operational requirements. In Australia, they work with Defence, maritime industries, and classification societies to deliver vessels compliant with Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) standards and international conventions.
Are employers advertising this role?
Falling, down 12.2% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Prepare detailed hull designs and structural drawings using computer-aided design (CAD) software such as FEMAP, MAXSURF, or Rhino to meet vessel specifications. Conduct hydrodynamic analyses including resistance calculations, propulsion efficiency assessments, and sea-keeping studies to optimise vessel performance. Perform stability calculations and generate stability documents in accordance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations and AMSA requirements. Design watertight compartments, ballast systems, and damage stability arrangements to comply with International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Coordinate with naval engineers and systems designers to integrate propulsion machinery, electrical systems, and onboard equipment into the hull structure. Review and approve construction plans, material specifications, and manufacturing processes with shipyards and contractors to ensure compliance with design intent. Conduct finite element analysis (FEA) on hull structures, frames, and critical components to verify strength and fatigue performance under operational loads. Prepare technical specifications and performance guarantees for vessel characteristics such as speed, endurance, manoeuvrability, and payload capacity.
Who does this now
About 390 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Bachelor degree or higher (ABS skill level 1)
Registration or licensing may be required.
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation had trouble finding suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
You'll need strong maths and physics skills plus specialist software expertise (MAXSURF, FEMAP, hydrodynamics modelling). The job market is tiny in Australia, mostly Defence contracts in a few locations. Work is project-based so employment can be unstable between major shipbuilding programs. International maritime regulations are complex and mistakes cost millions.
Where the jobs are
Work is heavily dependent on government Defence procurement cycles, so job availability fluctuates. Remote work is uncommon due to coordination with shipyards and classified Defence projects.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 2339, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Attention to Detailcore
- Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Process Documentationcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Report Writingcore
- Research and Analysiscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Stakeholder Communicationcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Written Communicationcore
- Adjust engineering designs
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Digital Literacy
- Goal Setting and Planning
- Microsoft Excel Data Management
- Negotiation
- Process Improvement Identification
- Reporting and Analytics
- Time Management and Prioritisation
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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