Mechanical Engineers
Also called: Air Conditioning Engineer (AC Engineer), Application Engineer, Automation Engineer, Body Engineer, Brake Engineer, Car Designer, Combustion Engineer, Cooling and Heating Systems Design Engineer
Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment.
What mechanical engineers do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, or repair to ensure that machines or equipment are installed and functioning according to specifications.
- Assist drafters in developing the structural design of products, using drafting tools or computer-assisted drafting equipment or software.
- Conduct research that tests or analyzes the feasibility, design, operation, or performance of equipment, components, or systems.
- Develop or test models of alternate designs or processing methods to assess feasibility, sustainability, operating condition effects, potential new applications, or necessity of modification.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Mechanical Engineers salary
The median annual wage for mechanical engineers is $104,110 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $73,990 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $164,340. The mean annual wage is $113,610.
The mean hourly wage of $54.00 is 7.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Mechanical Engineers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $104,110 → in 3 years $113,800 → in 5 years $120,700 → in 10 years $139,900 (10-year range $120,300–$162,400). The model assumes pay growth of +3.0% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Mechanical Engineers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Mechanical Engineers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Mechanical Engineers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Mechanical Engineers United States | 自動車技術者 Japan | 機械設計技術者 Japan | 鉄道車両の設計・開発 Japan | 精密機器技術者 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $104,110 | ¥7.25M ≈ $46,127 | ¥6.59M ≈ $41,910 | ¥7.25M ≈ $46,127 | ¥6.59M ≈ $41,910 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $139,900 | ¥9.10M | ¥8.20M | ¥9.07M | ¥8.34M |
| Outlook score | 62 | 56 | 56 | 52 | 57 |
| AI replacement risk | 62% High | 59% Moderate | 62% High | 60% Moderate | 56% Moderate |
| Workers | 297K | — | — | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Mechanical Engineers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 4 — considerable preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become mechanical engineers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as mechanical engineers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.