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Career Details :: Mechanical Engineers

Description

Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of such equipment as centralized heat, gas, water, and steam systems.

Experience

A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Tasks

• Designs products and systems to meet process requirements, applying knowledge of engineering principles.
• Specifies system components or directs modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design and performance specifications.
• Oversees installation to ensure machines and equipment are installed and functioning according to specifications.
• Coordinates building, fabrication, and installation of product design and operation, maintenance, and repair activities to utilize machines and equipment.
• Inspects, evaluates, and arranges field installations and recommends design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions.
• Investigates equipment failures and difficulties, diagnoses faulty operation, and makes recommendations to maintenance crew.
• Alters or modifies design to obtain specified functional and operational performance.
• Conducts experiments to test and analyze existing designs and equipment to obtain data on performance of product, and prepares reports.
• Assists drafter in developing structural design of product, using drafting tools or computer-assisted design/drafting equipment and software.
• Selects or designs tools to meet specifications, using manuals, drafting tools, computer, and specialized software programs.
• Tests ability of machines to perform tasks.
• Develops models of alternate processing methods to test feasibility or new applications of system components, and recommends implementation of procedures.
• Confers with establishment personnel and engineers to implement operating procedures and resolve system malfunctions and to provide technical information.
• Plans and directs engineering personnel in fabrication of test-control apparatus and equipment and develops procedures for testing products.
• Researches and analyzes data, such as customer design proposal, specifications, and manuals to determine feasibility of design or application.
• Determines parts supply, maintenance tasks, safety procedures, and service schedule required to maintain machines and equipment in prescribed condition.
• Studies industrial processes to determine where and how application of equipment can be made.

Related Careers

• Civil Drafters
  
• Civil Engineering Technicians
  
• Electrical Engineering Technicians
  
• Electronic Drafters
  
• Electronics Engineering Technicians
  
• Marine Architects
  
• Materials Engineers
  
• Mechanical Drafters
  
• Petroleum Engineers
  

Important Abilities

• Deductive Reasoning
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Number Facility
• Written Comprehension
• Visualization

General Work Activities

• Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
• Drafting & Specifying Technical Devices, etc.
• Thinking Creatively
• Analyzing Data or Information
• Updating & Using Job-Relevant Knowledge

Important Skills

• Mathematics
  
• Technology Design
  
• Science
  
• Active Learning
  
• Operations Analysis
  

Frequent Work Context

• Consequence of Error
• Job-Required Social Interaction
• Degree of Automation
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
• Importance of Being Sure All Is Done

Related Majors

Major (A) Associate (B) Bachelors (C) Certificate (D) Doctor (M) Master	Add to XapPack
Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering (A)	[ add ]
Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering (D)	[ add ]
Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering/Compound/Fluid/Solid Mechanics (M)	[ add ]
Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering/Dynamics Control (M)	[ add ]
Biomedical Engineering/Mechanical (B)	[ add ]
Biomedical Mechanical Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Computational/Engineering Mechanics (M)	[ add ]
Computing Technology/Chemical/Civil/Electrical/Mechanical Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Electrical/Mechanical Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Electromechanical Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Engineering Technology/Mechanical (A)	[ add ]
Engineering/Applied Mechanics (D)	[ add ]
Engineering/Mechanical/General Motors (B)	[ add ]
Mathematics/Mechanical/Aeronautical Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Design (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering (A)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering (D)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering Sciences (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering Systems (D)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering Systems (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Applied Mechanics (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Applied Mechanics (D)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Applied Mechanics (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Automotive (A)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Business Administration (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Computer Aided Design (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Engineering Mechanics (D)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Green Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Management (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Materials (A)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science (D)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science/Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Technology (A)	[ add ]
Mechanical Engineering/Petroleum Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering (D)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Materials Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Materials Science (M)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Medical Engineering (D)	[ add ]
Mechanical/Ocean Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Mechatronic Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Physics/Mechanical Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Physics/Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering (B)	[ add ]
Pre-Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering (B)	[ add ]

Institutions Offering Related Majors

College	Key Facts	Add to XapPack
Alabama A&M University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Alfred University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Arizona State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Arkansas State University - Jonesboro	[ view ]	[ add ]
Arkansas Tech University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Auburn University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Baker College of Flint	[ view ]	[ add ]
Baylor University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Boise State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Boston University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Bradley University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Brigham Young University - Utah Campus	[ view ]	[ add ]
Bucknell University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Cal Maritime	[ view ]	[ add ]
Cal Poly Pomona	[ view ]	[ add ]
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo	[ view ]	[ add ]
California Baptist University	[ view ]	[ add ]
California Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
Calvin College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Carleton University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Carnegie Mellon University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Case Western Reserve University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Catholic University of America, The	[ view ]	[ add ]
Cedarville University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Central Michigan University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Christian Brothers University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Clarkson University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Clemson University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Cleveland State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
College of New Jersey	[ view ]	[ add ]
Colorado School of Mines	[ view ]	[ add ]
Colorado State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Columbia University - Fu Foundation School of Engineering	[ view ]	[ add ]
Concordia University of Canada	[ view ]	[ add ]
Cooper Union	[ view ]	[ add ]
Cornell University	[ view ]	[ add ]
CSU Chico	[ view ]	[ add ]
CSU Fresno	[ view ]	[ add ]
CSU Fullerton	[ view ]	[ add ]
CSU Long Beach	[ view ]	[ add ]
CSU Los Angeles	[ view ]	[ add ]
CSU Northridge	[ view ]	[ add ]
CSU Sacramento	[ view ]	[ add ]
CUNY City College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Dalhousie University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Daniel Webster College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Delaware State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Dixie State College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Dordt College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Duke University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach	[ view ]	[ add ]
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Campus	[ view ]	[ add ]
Excelsior College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Fairfield University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Florida A&M University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Florida Atlantic University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Florida Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
Florida International University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Florida State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Gannon University	[ view ]	[ add ]
George Washington University, The	[ view ]	[ add ]
Georgia Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
Gonzaga University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Grove City College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Harding University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Harvard University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Henry Cogswell College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Hillsborough Community College - Tampa	[ view ]	[ add ]
Howard University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Humboldt State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Idaho State University - Pocatello	[ view ]	[ add ]
Illinois Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
Indiana Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne	[ view ]	[ add ]
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis	[ view ]	[ add ]
Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayam=n Campus	[ view ]	[ add ]
Iowa State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Johns Hopkins University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Kansas State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Kettering University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Lafayette College	[ view ]	[ add ]
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Lamar University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Lawrence Technological University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Lehigh University	[ view ]	[ add ]
LeTourneau University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Lewis-Clark State College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Loras College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Louisiana State University - Agricultural and Mechanical College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Louisiana Tech University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Loyola Marymount University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Manhattan College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Marquette University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
McGill University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Memorial University of Newfoundland	[ view ]	[ add ]
Mercer University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Miami University - Oxford	[ view ]	[ add ]
Michigan State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Michigan Technological University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Midwestern State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Milwaukee School of Engineering	[ view ]	[ add ]
Mississippi State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Montana State University - Bozeman	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - Chihuahua	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - Guadalajara	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - Leon	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - Monterrey	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - Morelos	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - N. Sonora	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - Queretaro	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - San Luis P.	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educ. - Univ.	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education - Colima	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education - Juarez	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education - Laguna	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education - Mexico	[ view ]	[ add ]
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education - Toluca	[ view ]	[ add ]
New Jersey Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
New Mexico State University - Las Cruces	[ view ]	[ add ]
New York Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
New York University	[ view ]	[ add ]
North Carolina A&T State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
North Carolina State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
North Dakota State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Northeastern University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Northern Arizona University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Northern Illinois University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Northwestern University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Norwich University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Oakland University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Ohio Northern University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Ohio State University, The - Columbus	[ view ]	[ add ]
Ohio University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Oklahoma Christian University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Oklahoma State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Old Dominion University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Oregon Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
Oregon State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Pellissippi State Community College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Penn State Erie, Behrend College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Penn State University Park	[ view ]	[ add ]
Philadelphia University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Polytechnic University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico	[ view ]	[ add ]
Portland State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Prairie View A&M University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Princeton University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Purdue University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Purdue University - North Central	[ view ]	[ add ]
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	[ view ]	[ add ]
Rice University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Rochester Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
Rockingham Community College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
Rowan University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Rutgers University - New Brunswick Campus	[ view ]	[ add ]
Rutgers University - School of Engineering	[ view ]	[ add ]
Ryerson Polytechnic University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Saginaw Valley State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Saint Louis University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Saint Martin's College	[ view ]	[ add ]
San Diego City College	[ view ]	[ add ]
San Diego State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
San Francisco State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
San Jose State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Santa Clara University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Seattle University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Seton Hall University	[ view ]	[ add ]
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
South Dakota State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Southern Illinois University - Carbondale	[ view ]	[ add ]
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	[ view ]	[ add ]
Southern Methodist University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Southern Polytechnic State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Southern University and A&M College	[ view ]	[ add ]
St. Cloud State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Stanford University	[ view ]	[ add ]
State University of New York at Binghamton	[ view ]	[ add ]
State University of New York at Buffalo	[ view ]	[ add ]
State University of New York at Stony Brook	[ view ]	[ add ]
Stevens Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
SUNY Maritime College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Syracuse University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Temple University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Tennessee State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Tennessee Technological University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Texas A&M University - College Station	[ view ]	[ add ]
Texas A&M University - Kingsville	[ view ]	[ add ]
Texas Tech University	[ view ]	[ add ]
The University of Tulsa	[ view ]	[ add ]
Tri-State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Tufts University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Tulane University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Tuskegee University	[ view ]	[ add ]
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UC Davis	[ view ]	[ add ]
UC Irvine	[ view ]	[ add ]
UC Los Angeles	[ view ]	[ add ]
UC Merced	[ view ]	[ add ]
UC Riverside	[ view ]	[ add ]
UC San Diego	[ view ]	[ add ]
UC Santa Barbara	[ view ]	[ add ]
Union College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Union University	[ view ]	[ add ]
United States Air Force Academy	[ view ]	[ add ]
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University of Alabama - Huntsville	[ view ]	[ add ]
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University of Alaska - Fairbanks	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Alberta	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Arizona	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Bridgeport	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of British Columbia	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Calgary	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Central Florida	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Cincinnati	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Colorado - Boulder	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Colorado - Colorado Springs	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Colorado Denver	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Connecticut	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Dayton	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Delaware	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Denver	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Detroit Mercy	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Evansville	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Florida	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Hawaii - Manoa	[ view ]	[ add ]
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University of Illinois - Chicago	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Illinois - Urbana	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Iowa	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Kansas - Lawrence	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Kentucky	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Louisiana - Lafayette	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Louisville	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Maine	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Manitoba	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Maryland - Baltimore County	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Maryland - College Park	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Massachusetts - Amherst	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Massachusetts - Lowell	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Memphis	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Miami	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Michigan - Dearborn	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Minnesota - Duluth	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Mississippi	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Missouri - Columbia	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Missouri - Kansas City	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Missouri - Rolla	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Missouri - St. Louis	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Nebraska - Lincoln	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Nevada - Las Vegas	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Nevada - Reno	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of New Brunswick	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of New Hampshire	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of New Haven	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of New Mexico - Main Campus	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of New Orleans	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of North Dakota	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of North Florida	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Notre Dame	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Oklahoma	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Ottawa	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Pennsylvania	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Pittsburgh	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Portland	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Rhode Island	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Rochester	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of San Diego	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Saskatchewan	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of South Alabama	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of South Carolina - Columbia	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of South Florida	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Southern California	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Southern Maine	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of St. Thomas - MN	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Tennessee - Chattanooga	[ view ]	[ add ]
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University of Texas - Arlington	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Texas - Austin	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Texas - Dallas	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Texas - El Paso	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Texas - Pan American	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Texas - Permian Basin	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Texas - San Antonio	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Texas - Tyler	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of the District of Columbia	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of the Pacific	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Toledo	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Toronto	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Utah	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Vermont	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Victoria	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Virginia	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Washington	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Waterloo	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Western Ontario	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Windsor	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Wisconsin - Madison	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Wisconsin - Platteville	[ view ]	[ add ]
University of Wyoming	[ view ]	[ add ]
Utah State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Valparaiso University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Vanderbilt University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Villanova University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Virginia Commonwealth University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Virginia Military Institute	[ view ]	[ add ]
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Washington State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Washington University in St. Louis	[ view ]	[ add ]
Wayne State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Wentworth Institute of Technology	[ view ]	[ add ]
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Western New England College	[ view ]	[ add ]
Wichita State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
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Wilkes University	[ view ]	[ add ]
William Penn University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	[ view ]	[ add ]
Wright State University	[ view ]	[ add ]
Yale University	[ view ]	[ add ]
York College of Pennsylvania	[ view ]	[ add ]
Youngstown State University	[ view ]	[ add ]