Mechanical Engineering

Types of Degrees Mechanical Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many mechanical engineering technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	87
Graduate Certificate	17

What Mechanical Engineering Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to ME tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for ME Tech Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in ME tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for ME Tech Majors

A major in ME tech prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for ME Tech Majors

A major in ME tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Mechanical Engineering Major?

People with a ME tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians	6.6%	$67,010
Automotive Engineering Technicians	5.0%	$56,250
Mechanical Engineering Technicians	5.0%	$56,250

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 66% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of ME tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	6
Black or African American	5
Hispanic or Latino	2
White	54
International Students	11
Other Races/Ethnicities	9

Geographic Diversity

ME Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 12.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• India
• China
• South Korea
• Kuwait

How Much Do Mechanical Engineering Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering technology made a median starting salary of $77,507 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $77,507 (25th percentile) and $77,507 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to ME tech so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $43,730 to $68,970 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to ME tech. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Mechanical Engineering

Some degrees associated with ME tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to ME tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	18.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	32.6%
Some College Courses	3.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	21.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	21.6%
Master’s Degree	3.5%

Online Mechanical Engineering Programs

In 2020-2021, 324 schools offered a ME tech program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	80	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	0
Associate’s Degree	247	5
Bachelor’s Degree	6	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	5	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Mechanical Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a ME tech grad is $58,240 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 46% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $366,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Mechanical Engineering

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to ME tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Engineering-Related Fields	4,838
Quality Control Technology	736
Industrial Production Technology	440
Engineering Technology (Other)	288
Construction Engineering Technology	264
General Engineering Technology	255
Computer Engineering Technology	179
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	145
Nanotechnology	98
Energy Systems Technologies	95
Environmental Control Technology	89
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	43
Architectural Engineering Technology	39
Electronics Engineering Technology	39
Engineering-Related Technologies	15
Nuclear Engineering Technology	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.