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Product & manufacturing
Mechanical Engineer
Designing the thing, then finding out why it broke.
Typical pay
$70k-$130k
How you get in
ABET bachelor's in mechanical engineering
Outlook
Steady; strong in aerospace, energy and medical devices
Mechanical engineers design and test machines, systems and products. The romantic version is invention; the working version is tolerance stacks, supplier calls and figuring out why the prototype failed at 40 percent of rated load.
A day in the life
- 8:30aReview overnight test results from the lab
- 9:30aCAD work on a revised bracket design
- 11:00aCall a supplier about a part that cannot be made as drawn
- 1:00pDesign review with manufacturing
- 3:00pRun tolerance and stress calculations
- 4:30pUpdate the drawing package and release the revision
How to get in
Bachelor's degree
Duration
4 years
Cost
$40,000-$180,000
Credential
BS in mechanical engineering (ABET-accredited)
- Complete an ABET-accredited mechanical engineering degree
- Do at least one co-op or internship — this decides your first job
- Learn CAD and one analysis tool to a professional level
- Enter as a design or manufacturing engineer
Add the PE license
Duration
4 years of work after the degree
Cost
$1,000-$2,000 in exam fees
Credential
Professional Engineer license
- Pass the FE exam in your senior year
- Work four years under a licensed PE
- Pass the PE exam
- Matters most in HVAC, facilities and consulting; less so in product design
Engineering technology into engineering
Duration
2-6 years
Cost
$8,000-$60,000
Credential
AS in engineering technology, then a BS
- Complete a two-year engineering technology degree
- Work as a technician or designer while an employer funds the bachelor's
- Note that technology degrees do not always qualify for PE licensure
- Complete an ABET engineering degree if licensure matters to you
What people love
- · Broadest engineering discipline — works in nearly every industry
- · Solid pay with a bachelor's alone
- · Tangible products you can hold
- · Transfers well into management and sales engineering
What wears people down
- · Pay lags software for comparable difficulty
- · Manufacturing sites are often in remote towns
- · Design cycles can be slow and bureaucratic
- · Layoff-exposed in cyclical industries