Fast Facts / Marine Economy
Marine Economy
The term “marine jobs,” used below, covers the U.S. oceans and Great Lakes and is based on the most recent data available (2023) from the Marine Economy Satellite Account data set, a joint project between NOAA and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
2.6 Million Jobs
The marine sector provides 2.6 million jobs annually.
$511 Billion in Goods and Services
Annually, the marine economy contributes $511 billion in gross domestic product.
$827 Billion in Sales
In 2023, the marine economy produced $827 billion in sales—significantly more than arts, entertainment and recreation, utilities, or data processing and internet publishing.
Yearly Growth
In 2023, the marine economy saw a 2.9 percent growth in its contribution to GDP and a 3.5 percent increase in sales. The marine construction sector exhibited the largest growth in sales, increasing by 15.5 percent, or $8 billion.
Good-Paying Jobs
Private marine industries with some of the highest paid jobs include information (average $155,000 annually); mining (average $151,000 annually); and utilities (average $141,000 annually). In comparison, the average annual salary within the marine economy is $85,000.
Sales (Inflation Adjusted)
The following list demonstrates the annual gross output (sales) for the 10 marine sectors:
- Tourism and recreation – $225 billion
- National defense and public administration – $197 billion
- Offshore minerals – $77 billion
- Transportation and warehousing – $68 billion
- Living resources – $34 billion
- Ship and boat building – $20 billion
- Coastal Utilities – $15 billion
- Research and education – $12 billion
- Professional and technical services – $9 billion
- Construction – $8 billion
Handout: America's Marine Economy
Data Source: Marine Economy Statistics. The 2023 status is measured by current dollar values unless otherwise noted; the growth values from 2022 are in chained (2017) dollars that have been adjusted for inflation. For marine economy statistics on a state and county level, see the ENOW database.