Disclaimer – please note that for all blog posts, the “Career Overview” (in the blog) is only supposed to provide a general idea of the career and may or may not have any correlation to the actual interviewee’s experiences.
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest fields and feeds into various industries; engineers design, build/manufacture, and install mechanical devices. These types of devices could include machinery, robots, trucks, or even airplanes.
Mechanical engineers also analyze and evaluate issues with current products to create better solutions. When a new product is designed by an engineer, he/she conducts experiments to test the efficacy of the product and to make improvements if needed.
When the design of the product and any technical documentation are ready, engineers prepare a project schedule to release the product.
Engineers generally work in offices with occasional visits to job sites or manufacturing plants.
Some industries where mechanical engineers work include air conditioning, refrigeration, engines, escalators, turbines, robots, electronics manufacturing, etc.
Education and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering
- Master’s in mechanical engineering (with specific focus on Design, Energy, Robotics, Spacecraft, etc.)
- Professional license
- Computer skills in CAD (computer-aided design), CAM (computer-aided manufacturing), etc.
- Advanced mathematics skills including geometry and calculus
- An analytical mind and solid problem-solving skills
- Based on the industry type, knowledge in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, etc.
- Production planning
Responsibilities
- Designing using CAD software
- Estimating the duration and scope of projects
- Preparing technical documentation
- Developing a manufacturing procedure by designing new machinery or a new process or modifying existing ones.
- Developing testing methods to ensure product quality
- Conducting tests and evaluations to improve product functionality/efficiency
- Training and guiding technicians
- Managing all phases of projects
A Day in the Life
Work schedule: most engineers have a set schedule; they work standard business hours (40 hours a week). Like many other professions, the schedules are mostly determined by the project schedule, product launch date, etc.
Based on the industry and the stage of development of the product, daily routines could vary significantly:
At the beginning of the product cycle, most time is spent in research and meeting with stakeholders to gather requirements.
Once the requirements have been gathered, the design phase begins; engineers create rough sketches and slowly convert them into detailed computer drawings with exact specifications.
Following the design phase, typically a prototype (a preliminary model of the final equipment or device) will be created directly under the supervision of the engineers before the final product is released or mass production happens.
If the product is a complicated one, a team of engineers will be involved in all phases.
When the prototype is ready, various tests will be conducted to make sure the product delivers the expected results and meets compliance requirements and quality standards.
During various stages of the product cycle, engineers must meet with other engineers, a finance team, a testing team, technicians, project managers, etc. to get stuff done.
Other Necessary Skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Strong team player
- General consulting skills
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Technical (industry-specific) skills
Career Progression
- Mechanical Engineer: $65K to $125K
- Senior Mechanical Engineer: $80 to $140K
- Manager-Engineering: $90K to 160K
- Director-Engineering: $100K to 200K
- VP-Engineering and C-suite: > $200K
Salary
- Engineers with bachelor’s degree – varies widely
- Engineers with master’s degree – also varies widely, but generally $65K to $125K
- Engineers with PhD – varies widely
Job Growth
300K jobs as of now
Growing at 7%
About 21K jobs in the future
Summary
If you are interested in developing products and applying knowledge from various areas including math, physics, chemistry, computers (software and hardware), structures, materials, etc., mechanical engineering will offer an opportunity to do so. You will be spending time with a variety of tools, machinery, and equipment. Also, there is a wide variety of specialization opportunities both inter-industry and intra-industry; for example, you can choose from a variety of industries (aerospace, heating/cooling, automobile, transportation, renewable energy, robotics, etc.) and a variety of subspecialities (life-support, structural integrity, or rocket propulsion within aerospace).
