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Mechanical Engineering

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 15.0801- 15.0899.

Types of Degrees Mechanical Engineering Majors Are Earning

Those studying Mechanical Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	550
Associate’s Degree	1,616
Bachelor’s Degree	2,458
Master’s Degree	1,312

What Mechanical Engineering Majors Need to Know

Studies in Mechanical Engineering build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Mechanical Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Mechanical Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Mechanical Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Mechanical Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Mechanical Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Mechanical Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Mechanical Engineering graduates include:

• Mechanical Designer
• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Mechanical Technician (Mechanical Tech)
• Engineering Aide
• Engineering Technical Analyst
• Process Analyst
• Technical Analyst
• Optomechanical Technician
• Proof Technician
• Systems Engineering Analyst
• Computer-Aided Design Designer
• Apparatus Engineering Technologist
• Experimental Technician
• Engineering Data Analyst
• Process Technician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Mechanical Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	24.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	24.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	21.4%
Bachelor’s degree	18.3%
Some college courses	6.9%
Master’s degree	2.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%
Doctoral degree	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mechanical Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 88.4% of Mechanical Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	695	11.6%
Men	5,301	88.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Mechanical Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,640	60.7%
Asian	240	4.0%
Hispanic or Latino	909	15.2%
Black or African American	579	9.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	43	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.2%
Two or More Races	208	3.5%
Race Unknown	204	3.4%
International Students	164	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mechanical Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$58,128
4 years	$66,942
5 years	$75,102

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,102 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Mechanical Engineering Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Mechanical Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	7
Bachelor’s	6	6
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Mechanical Engineering Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $66,942 four years after completion — roughly 76% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering Technologies	91,975
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	11,920
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	11,391
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	10,798
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,702
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,196
Engineering-Related Fields	8,633
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	5,089
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	3,275
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,247
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.