A Structural Engineer working in Korea for 5 years now wrote to OFWGuide to inform Filipinos about job opportunities in the shipbuilding industry of the said country. He is currently employed in the DSME.

The engineer informed that the shipbuilding industry is rapidly growing the world over. In some circles, that growth is described as “booming.” So is the offshore/marine engineering industry for oil & gas. 

The SHI and DSME are both located in Geoje-do, Kyungnam Province, of South Korea. The population of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there has been steadily growing since last year.Almost 100 Filipino families engaged in the shipbuilding and offshore engineering business are presently working and living there. The majority of OFWs are 25 to 30 years old; the few older ones are long time OFWs from Singapore, Dubai, etc.

The companies mentioned prefer Filipinos because our workers have wide exposure and experience to overseas jobs. Filipinos are also flexible because they can easily adapt to new environments.

The two giants of the shipbuilding industry, DSME and SHI needs engineers in the following fields: Structural, Electrical/instrumentation, HVAC, and Piping.

Salary range:

Engineers with at least 5 years experience:  minimum US$ 19,000 per year

Senior engineers: About US$ 40 to 60,000 per year depending on expertise and/or experience

Contract duration: minimum one year

Accommodation: Meals, transportation, medical & disability insurance, and vacation tickets are provided. For those with families, air tickets & accommodations fit for a family are provided.