Mechanical Engineers
Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment such as centralized heat, gas, water, and steam systems.
Also called: Application Engineer · Design Engineer · Equipment Engineer · Mechanical Design Engineer · Mechanical Designer · Mechanical Engineer
Median pay (national)
$102,320
$68,740–$161,240 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
286,760
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+9.1%
~18,100 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for mechanical engineers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $161,240 versus $68,740 at the bottom 10% — 2.3x. The median of $102,320 leaves roughly 58% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +9.1% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the 3% average for all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 18,100 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, New Mexico pays the most for this role (median $141,490, +38% vs the national median), while Guam sits lowest at $60,700 — a 133% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Microsoft Excel as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Mathematics
- Science
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
- Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
- Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
- Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
- Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
- Recommend design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions.
- Research and analyze customer design proposals, specifications, manuals, or other data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, or maintenance requirements of designs or applications.
- Provide technical customer service.
- Develop or test models of alternate designs or processing methods to assess feasibility, sustainability, operating condition effects, potential new applications, or necessity of modification.
- Provide feedback to design engineers on customer problems or needs.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk Revit
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- PTC Creo Parametric
- Python
- Adobe Illustrator
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Bentley MicroStation
- C
- C++
- Chef
- ESRI ArcGIS software
Knowledge areas
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics