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.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Mathematics
- Science
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
Key knowledge
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics
What the work involves
- Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
- Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
- Research and analyze customer design proposals, specifications, manuals, or other data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, or maintenance requirements of designs or applications.
- Provide feedback to design engineers on customer problems or needs.
- Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, or repair to ensure that machines or equipment are installed and functioning according to specifications.
- Conduct research that tests or analyzes the feasibility, design, operation, or performance of equipment, components, or systems.
- Recommend design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions.
- Develop, coordinate, or monitor all aspects of production, including selection of manufacturing methods, fabrication, or operation of product designs.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (52.3% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (24.5%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (36.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Mechanical Engineers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | High | Higher on contact with others than 79% of occupations compared | 74% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 60% of occupations compared | — |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 61% of occupations compared | — |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 62% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Low | Lower on time pressure than 75% of occupations compared | 55% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Lower on conflict situations than 53% of occupations compared | 35% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 91% of occupations compared | 55% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Higher on consequence of error than 51% of occupations compared | 28% of surveyed respondents chose “Serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: low
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: 0.89%
- Contact with others most of the time: 25.49%
- Constant contact with others: 73.62%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 12.04%
- Fairly important: 4.43%
- Important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very important: 0.31%
- Extremely important: 22.1%
n = 27, Incumbent 08/2024
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 8.4%
- Very important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2024
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0.98%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 21.84%
- Some freedom: 26.88%
- A lot of freedom: 50.29%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2024
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 1.15%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 55.36%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 34.35%
- Every day: 9.14%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2024
Conflict situations
- Never: 6.8%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 34.67%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 31.52%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 27.01%
- Every day: 0%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 24.63%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 55.45%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 10.23%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 9.69%
- Every day: 0%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2024
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 23.48%
- Fairly serious: 11.14%
- Serious: 28.39%
- Very serious: 17.09%
- Extremely serious: 19.9%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2024
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O*NET-SOC 17-2141.00 · SOC 17-2141 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8