Mechanical Engineers Careers
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The average value of the Bachelor degree needed to become a Mechanical engineers is $1,742,865.00.
As one of the oldest branches of engineering, mechanical engineering involves the application of physics and materials science in design, production, operation, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. This diverse engineering discipline involves the usage of heat and the harnessing of mechanical power in the design, production, and operation of industrial equipment, machinery, heating and cooling systems, tools, and a variety of other fields.
Points of Interest
Pursuing a mechanical engineers career involves applying the skills and knowledge gained from an education in mechanical engineering from an accredited college or university. A mechanical engineer career involves a broad variety of fields such as automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, environmental control, manufacturing, computers, industrial manufacturing, medical, and even overlaps with other engineering disciplines such as civil engineering, electrical engineering, and aerospace engineering.
Nature of the Work
Since the mechanical engineering career can involve almost every thing made that is used in everyday life, it is one of the broadest and most diverse of the engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers can be involved with developing machinery, tools, systems, and processes that are used to built tools and components for use in other areas. A mechanical engineering career can range from working for large corporations to governmental agencies to small architectural and engineering firms. Mechanical engineers work in all phases of business from that may include design, production, operations, research and development, teaching, and management.
Many mechanical engineers may work on power-producing machines that include electric generators, steam and gas turbines, internal combustion engines, and other large motors. Others may work with machinery on the other end of the spectrum, the power-using equipment such as machine tools, industrial production machinery, refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, elevators, robots used in the manufacturing process, and material-handling systems.
Other mechanical engineers may work in agricultural production, maintenance, technical sales, and related areas.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
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For a career as a mechanical engineer, the minimum requirement is a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. To obtain a degree in mechanical engineering, it requires one to attend an accredited college or university that offers that particular specialty. A bachelor’s degree would give the recipient the necessary education to go into the workforce. Advanced degrees such as a Master’s and a Doctorate can be beneficial especially if one wants to advance in their career or pursue certain research or collegiate teaching positions.
Most colleges and universities offering mechanical engineering curriculum will require students to take course in math, science, physics, and life sciences in addition to the mechanical engineering specialty courses. Other basic courses such as English, history, and other liberal arts courses may be required. These courses are often beneficial as they give the graduate a well-rounded education that will useful in the workplace.
It is especially important that the college or university chosen is accredited in the mechanical engineering field. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The ABET determines the minimum curricula for engineering programs and their graduates. This provides standardization for engineering programs particularly at the undergraduate level. This helps to ensure that graduates have the minimum requirements of the natural or physical sciences, mathematics, and general education studies.
Post-Graduate
Upon completion of a degree in mechanical engineering, the graduate will need to take and pass the comprehensive Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam. This eight-hour exam is given by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and is given to all disciplines of engineering and land surveying. It is the first step toward the engineer being able to practice as a professional engineer. The exam tests the candidates on facets of their engineering discipline as well as engineering economy and chemistry. Once they pass this exam, they receive a certificate and are often referred to as Engineers-In-Training (EITs).
After a few years of on-the-job experience, as a mechanical engineer, typically four-years in most states, the Professional Engineers (PE) Exam must be passed in order for the engineer to be a registered professional engineer. This exam is also given by NCEES and the licensure is handled by each state. A mechanical engineer will be required to have his license in each state that he wishes to be registered as a professional engineer.
Although some mechanical engineer positions and some companies and firms may require a mechanical engineer to have the Professional Engineer license, in most cases a person can still work as a mechanical engineer without the PE. However, to be able to maximize the potential for a successful career as a mechanical engineer, it is highly recommended to obtain a PE.
Training Options
Once a mechanical engineer’s career has begun, the mechanical engineer may still be required to have training and take engineering or science courses to stay abreast of the latest advancements and changes in the profession. Many companies and firms will send their engineers to training as part of the job duties. Some firms may even send their employees back to school to obtain advanced degrees and pay their salary, tuition, and other expenses. Employment
Because mechanical engineering is a broad and diverse field of discipline, the employment prospects for mechanical engineering graduates is usually one of the best in the engineering field. Mechanical engineers held the second highest number of jobs in 2008 according to the statistics provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). According to the BLS, over there were almost 240,000 mechanical engineers in the United States. Only the Civil Engineering specialty had more jobs in the United States with about 280,000 jobs.
According to the BLS, the statistical breakdown of the mechanical engineering jobs shows that about 36 percent of the mechanical engineering jobs were in manufacturing, 30 percent in scientific and technical areas. Also in 2008, around 12 percent worked for governmental agencies that included Federal, State, and local agencies. These governmental agencies often employed mechanical engineers in highway and public works departments. A small number of mechanical engineers, around 3 percent, are consultants or are self-employed. Many large engineering firms have large staffs of mechanical engineers. Federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have a large number of mechanical engineers on their staffs.
Job Outlook
According to the BLS, the overall employment for the engineering profession is expected to grow about 11 percent from 2008 to 2018. While this is about the same job growth rate as all other occupations, the mechanical engineering discipline is expected to grow at a slower rate, about 6 percent since the manufacturing industry in this country has been declining. For mechanical engineering, other areas such as research and development and consulting may grow at a faster rate over the next decade.
With the continued advancement of technology and optimization of the manufacturing process, it may provide more opportunities for mechanical engineers as they may use their specific skills to develop new technologies and processes that take advantage of the mechanical engineering specialty. Skills developed in earning a mechanical engineering degree that can be applied to other engineering specialties may result in additional job opportunities.
However, globalization of the engineering discipline may limit the amount of growth in the mechanical engineering discipline in this country. With the rise of the Internet, it has become much easier for firms to use mechanical engineers in other parts of the world to do a lot of the engineering work that once done solely by mechanical engineers in this country. Despite this transition in engineering employment, the need for on site mechanical engineers in production, construction, and operations still exists.
Projections
The projected employment numbers for mechanical engineers for the decade of 2008 to 2018 show an increase of around 14,000 new mechanical engineers. This is a growth rate of 6 percent which trails the overall growth of 11 percent for all engineers during that period. These projections are derived from the National Employment Matrix prepared by the BLS.
Earnings
Those seeking a career in engineering will enter a profession with some of the highest starting salaries for graduates with bachelor degrees. Starting salaries for those beginning a mechanical engineering career will find salaries in the mid-range of engineering salaries according to 2009 data provided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. This data placed the average starting salary for mechanical engineering at about $59,000. This falls about midway between Petroleum Engineers at around $83,000 and Civil engineers at $52,000.
Wages
Mechanical engineering wages by also vary by industry sector. Some of the top sectors for mechanical engineers according to the May, 2009 data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics include the Other Telecommunications sector with an hourly mean wage of $45.75 per hour. Mechanical engineers working in the Spectator Sports sector follow with an hourly mean wage of $44.76, Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing with an hourly mean wage of $44.71, and Software Publishers with at $44.23 per hour.
Wages for careers in mechanical engineering also vary by state. Alaska and the District of Columbia have the top two highest hourly mean wages at over $47. Colorado is third at with an hourly mean wage of $45.24, followed by New Mexico at $44.02, and Virginia at $43.34. These figures are based on the BLS figures for May 2009.
The top paying metropolitan area for careers in mechanical engineering is the Washington, DC area which includes northern Virginia, Maryland, and parts of West Virginia. This area has hundreds of defense contractors, enginerring firms, and government agencies that employ over 3,800 mechanical engineers.
The hourly mean wage for mechanical engineers in the Washington, DC metro area is $53.12.
The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California metro area is next with an hourly mean wage of $49.15. This area has about 3,800 mechanical engineers working for engineering firms, technology firms, and defense industries.
Anchorage, Alaska is next with an hourly mean wage of $48.80
Houston-Sugarland-Baytown, Texas with an hourly mean wage of $48.33, and Denver-Aurora, Colorado with an hourly mean wage of $46.78.
Related Occupations
Mechanical Engineers work closely with several other engineering disciplines such as civil engineering, electrical engineering, and aerospace engineering. In construction fields, the mechanical engineer plays an integral role alongside the architect, civil engineer, and electrical engineer.
In the automotive industry, the mechanical engineer works closely with the automotive designers.
In the chemical and oil field industry, mechanical engineers may work with chemical engineers, petroleum engineers, and industrial engineers. Other related professions include aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineering, engineering technicians, computer scientists, physicists and astronomers.
Sources of Additional Information
