Mechanical Engineer
A mechanical engineer could...
| Design a safety harness for an upside-down amusement park ride. |
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Model the bending and twisting displayed by solar panels on a space telescope. |
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| Design surgical robots that improve precision and reduce incision size, blood loss, pain, and healing time. |
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Design carbon fiber prosthetic blades for high-speed running. |
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Key Facts & Information
| Overview | Mechanical engineers are part of your everyday life, designing the spoon you used to eat your breakfast, your breakfast's packaging, the flip-top cap on your toothpaste tube, the zipper on your jacket, the car, bike, or bus you took to school, the chair you sat in, the door handle you grasped and the hinges it opened on, and the ballpoint pen you used to take your test. Virtually every object that you see around you has passed through the hands of a mechanical engineer. Consequently, their skills are in demand to design millions of different products in almost every type of industry. | |
| Key Requirements | Creative, analytical, mathematical, with a hands-on understanding of the world, as well as excellent communication skills | |
| Minimum Degree | Bachelor's degree | |
| Subjects to Study in High School | Biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus, calculus; if available, statistics, applied technology | |
| Median Salary |
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| Projected Job Growth (2014-2024) |
More Slowly than Average (3% to 6%)
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| Interview |
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| Related Occupations |
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Education and Training
You generally need at least a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering to enter this field. It takes four or five years to earn a bachelor's degree in engineering. Some programs include periods of work experience along with formal classes. Many engineers go on to obtain advanced degrees in a specialized field of engineering or business administration. Engineers often continue their education throughout their careers to remain aware of new developments in their field. Most employers encourage engineers to take formal courses that help engineers to improve their job performance. Some even pay the cost of tuition for these courses. In addition, mechanical engineers read and study professional and trade journals.
Engineers whose work affects life, health, or property or who offer their services to the public must be licensed by the state in which they work. They generally need a degree from an approved engineering college, about four years of work experience as an engineer, and a passing grade on a state examination before being licensed as a professional engineer.
Other Qualifications
Engineers should be creative, inquisitive, analytical, and detail oriented. They should be able to work as part of a team and to communicate well, both orally and in writing. Communication abilities are becoming increasingly important as engineers frequently interact with specialists in a wide range of fields outside engineering.
Nature of the Work
Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between scientific discoveries and the commercial applications that meet societal and consumer needs.
Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, manufacture, and test tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Engineers in this discipline work on power-producing machines such as electric generators, internal combustion engines, and steam and gas turbines. They also work on power-using machines, such as refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, machine tools, material handling systems, elevators and escalators, industrial production equipment, and robots used in manufacturing. Mechanical engineers also design tools that other engineers need for their work. In addition, mechanical engineers work in manufacturing or agriculture production, maintenance, or technical sales, and many become administrators or managers.
Work Environment
Mechanical engineers spend part of their time in clean, well-lighted office buildings. At other times they work at construction sites or in noisy factories. Working conditions vary widely since mechanical engineers are employed in so many different kinds of jobs. Their basic workweek is usually forty hours. Overtime is necessary in some jobs, especially when project deadlines must be met.
On the Job
- Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, and computer-generated reports.
- Confer with engineers and other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, and provide technical information.
- Research and analyze customer design proposals, specifications, manuals, and other data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, and maintenance requirements of designs or applications.
- Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design and performance specifications.
- Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, and maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems and processes to meet requirements, applying knowledge of engineering principles.
- Investigate equipment failures and difficulties to diagnose faulty operation, and to make recommendations to maintenance crew.
- Assist drafters in developing the structural design of products using drafting tools or computer-assisted design (CAD) or drafting equipment and software.
- Provide feedback to design engineers on customer problems and needs.
- Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair to ensure that machines and equipment are installed and functioning according to specifications.
- Conduct research that tests and analyzes the feasibility, design, operation and performance of equipment, components and systems.
- Recommend design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions.
- Develop and test models of alternate designs and processing methods to assess feasibility, operating condition effects, possible new applications and necessity of modification.
- Develop, coordinate, and monitor all aspects of production, including selection of manufacturing methods, fabrication, and operation of product designs.
- Estimate costs and submit bids for engineering, construction, or extraction projects, and prepare contract documents.
- Perform personnel functions such as supervision of production workers, technicians, technologists and other engineers, or design of evaluation programs.
- Solicit new business and provide technical customer service.
- Establish and coordinate the maintenance and safety procedures, service schedule, and supply of materials required to maintain machines and equipment in the prescribed condition.
- Study industrial processes to determine where and how application of equipment can be made.
- Write performance requirements for product development or engineering projects.
- Apply engineering principles and practices to emerging fields such as robotics, waste management, and biomedical engineering.
- Design test control apparatus and equipment and develop procedures for testing products.
Source: BLS
Companies That Hire Mechanical Engineers
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If you'd like to investigate the physics of amusement park rides, then this project is for you. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much the marble's potential energy at the beginning of the track is converted to kinetic energy at various points along the track.
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Have you ever ridden on a carousel, or a merry-go-round, at an amusement park? On a carousel, you usually get to take a seat on a wooden horse or other animal that spins around and around as the carousel is turned on and powered by electricity. Another smaller type of carousel that people can have in their homes is a candle carousel, which is powered by heat from candles. In this science project, you will get to make your own candle carousel and investigate how the spinning speed of the…
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Amaze your friends and family by moving water with just a few turns of your wrist! Nope, it's not a magic trick. It's simply an Archimedes screw. In this science project, you will build a very simple pump, called an Archimedes screw, to transfer water from a low-lying location to a higher location.
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Have you ever seen a cat chase a laser pointer or a flashlight beam? What if you could make a robot do that? In this project, you will build a robot that can automatically drive toward a bright light source. The robot uses a simple electronic circuit to track light, so there is no computer programming required! You can also do three other robotics projects using the same kit of parts, so this is a great way to get started with robotics before moving on to more advanced projects.
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In physics class, you have probably rolled your eyes at some point after being assigned a "projectile motion" homework problem where you use equations to predict how a ball will move through the air. This experiment will show you just how fun that problem can be by using a real catapult to launch a ball and videotaping it as it flies along its path. Then, you will analyze the video and compare it to what the equations predicted. If you have ever wondered if those equations in your physics…
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Every day, no matter where you are, you will see people using their cell phones. People use their cell phones for
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Ask Questions
Do you have a specific question about a career as a Mechanical Engineer that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.
Additional Information
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers: https://www.asme.org/
Sources
- BLS. (2019). Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2019 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- O*Net Online. (2019). National Center for O*Net Development. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- Career Corner Digital. (2008, March 17). Mechanical Engineer: A Day in the Life. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
- WGBH Educational Foundation. (2008). Pete Gosselin. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
- Net Industries. (2009). Mechanical Engineer Job Description, Career as a Mechanical Engineer, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
Additional Support
We'd like to acknowledge the additional support of:
- Medtronic
- Northrop Grumman
- Seagate
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