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.
What it pays
Mechanical Engineers earn a median of $50.05/hr — about $104,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $35.57/hr; the top 10% earn $79.01/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Mechanical Engineers earn a median of $50.05/hr — about $104,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $35.57/hr; the top 10% earn $79.01/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1.2% of mechanical engineers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, analytical and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Industrial Engineers
- Environmental Engineers
- Civil Engineers
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Electrical Engineers
- Engineers, All Other
Quick questions
- How much does a mechanical engineer make?
- The median pay is $50.05 per hour — roughly $104,000 a year, with the real range running from about $35.57/hr (10th percentile) to $79.01/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a mechanical engineer?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a mechanical engineer actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.