Career
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
Help mechanical engineers design, build and test machines.
$74,510
Median pay
+1.3%
Job growth, 2025–35
3,100
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems.
- Interpret engineering sketches, specifications, or drawings.
- Calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval.
- Review project instructions and blueprints to ascertain test specifications, procedures, and objectives, and test nature of technical problems such as redesign.
- Provide technical support to other employees regarding mechanical design, fabrication, testing, or documentation.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $74,510 a year and 3,100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Automotive Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0803
- Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0805
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, OtherCIP 15.0899
- Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.1103
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians$67,820 · +4.8%
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 · +2.4%
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 · +11.9%
- Robotics Technicians
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$66,120 · +3.1%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.