OverviewSalaryAboutEducationWhere are the jobsEmploymentGenderRace/Origin
Overview
Apply theory and principles of mechanical engineering to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment under direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.
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Titles for this career often contain these words
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Responsibilities and activities
Mechanical engineering technicians typically do the following:
- Evaluate design drawings for new or changed tools by measuring dimensions on the drawings and comparing them with the original specifications
- Prepare layouts and drawings of parts to be made and of the process for putting the parts together, often using three-dimensional design software
- Discuss changes with coworkers—for example, in the design of a part and in the way it will be made and assembled
- Review instructions and blueprints for projects in order to ensure that test specifications and procedures are followed and objectives are met
- Plan, produce, and assemble new or changed mechanical parts for products, such as industrial machinery or equipment
- Set up and conduct tests of complete units and their components, and record results
- Compare test results with design specifications and with test objectives and make recommendations for changes in products or in test methods
- Estimate labor costs, equipment life, and plant space
Some mechanical engineering technicians test and inspect machines and equipment or work with engineers to eliminate production problems. For example, they may assist in testing products by setting up instrumentation for vehicle crash tests.
Salary
Median salary: $58,230 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $45,430 and $73,800.
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for engineering technologists and technicians
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
Number employed
About Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
- Time Pressure (73%)
- Responsible for Others' Health (57%)
- Consequence of Error (56%)
- Hazardous Equipment (56%)
- Exposed to Contaminants (43%)
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Communication skills
Mechanical engineering technicians must be able to clearly understand and follow instructions or ask their supervisors for clarification if they do not understand. They must be able to clearly explain, both orally and in writing, the need for changes in designs or test procedures.
Creativity
Mechanical engineering technicians help mechanical engineers bring their plans and designs to life. This often requires helping the engineer to overcome problems that might not have been anticipated.
Detail oriented
Mechanical engineering technicians must make precise measurements and keep accurate records for mechanical engineers.
Math skills
Mechanical engineering technicians use mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.
Mechanical skills
Mechanical engineering technicians must apply theory and instructions from engineers by making new components for industrial machinery or equipment. They may need to be able to operate machinery such as drill presses, grinders, and engine lathes.
Injury and Illness
About 39 mechanical engineering technologists and technicians become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, making this job more dangerous than 63% of other careers.
All injuries and illnesses
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), mechanical engineering technologists and technicians typically hold a associate's degree.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as engineering technologists and technicians as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Education and training recommended for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
Mechanical engineering technicians typically need an associate’s degree or a certificate from a community college or vocational–technical school. Community colleges offer programs similar to those in technical institutes but include more theory-based and liberal arts coursework and programs. Community colleges typically award an associate’s degree. Vocational–technical schools include postsecondary public institutions that emphasize training needed by local employers. Students who complete these programs typically receive a diploma or certificate.
ABET accredits associate’s degree programs in relevant fields of study, such as mechanical engineering technology.
Completing an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering technology is good preparation for studying for a bachelor’s degree.
High school students interested in becoming mechanical engineering technicians should take classes in math, science, and computer skills. Courses that help students develop skills working with their hands also are valuable because these technicians build what mechanical engineers design.
Details: Licensing and certification recommended for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) offers four levels of certification through its technician certification programs. Mechanical engineering technicians can obtain certification in industrial instrumentation by passing an examination. In addition, an engineering technician’s supervisor must verify the competency of the candidate for certification.
Education level of Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Only 20% of engineering technologists and technicians have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education attained by engineering technologists and technicians
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
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Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click a program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Program
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Engineering Technologists and Technicians per 1,000 workers (ACS)
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most mechanical engineering technologists and technicians? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as mechanical engineering technologists and technicians. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where mechanical engineering technologists and technicians earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
- In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for engineering technologists and technicians compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
- Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for engineering technologists and technicians.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which engineering technologists and technicians earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Engineering Technologists and Technicians (ACS for all specialties)
Employment
8% of Engineering technologists and technicians are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 8% part-time workers, this occupation has a lower percentage of part-time workers than 64% of careers.
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of engineering technologists and technicians by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
Gender
Engineering technologists and technicians and gender
With 19% women, this occupation has a lower percentage of women than 67% of careers.
Gender of Engineering technologists and technicians
Men (81%)
Women (19%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
Context: Salary inequity
The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers
in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women
by 19%, and the difference
for engineering technologists and technicians tops that, with the median salary for
men 26% higher than the median
salary for women.
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Engineering technologists and technicians
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Engineering technologists and technicians.
Race/origin of engineering technologists and technicians
White (75% )
Black (9% )
Asian (8% )
Other (3% )
Multiracial (3% )
Hispanic (1% )
American Indian (1% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
