Occupations · Architecture and Engineering
Mechanical Engineers
Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment such as centralized heat, gas, water, and steam systems.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 17-2141.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 60% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $104,420 | 19,740 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $114,290 | 8,280 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $124,160 | 8,050 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $126,870 | 7,010 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $111,270 | 6,440 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $100,390 | 6,050 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $117,930 | 5,390 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $104,410 | 5,140 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $121,060 | 5,080 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $102,180 | 5,010 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $145,640 | 4,670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $100,740 | 4,510 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
- Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
- Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
- Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
- Design integrated mechanical or alternative systems, such as mechanical cooling systems with natural ventilation systems, to improve energy efficiency.
- Calculate energy losses for buildings, using equipment such as computers, combustion analyzers, or pressure gauges.
- Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
- Recommend design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions.
- Recommend the use of utility or energy services that minimize carbon footprints.
- Research and analyze customer design proposals, specifications, manuals, or other data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, or maintenance requirements of designs or applications.
- Perform personnel functions, such as supervision of production workers, technicians, technologists, or other engineers.
- Apply engineering principles or practices to emerging fields, such as robotics, waste management, or biomedical engineering.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2024-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2024-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Investigate equipment failures or diagnose faulty operations and recommend or perform remedial actions.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 4 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 32
No longer listed 7
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| mechanical engineer | 2144.1 | exact |
| engine designer | 2144.1.5 | broader |
| rotating equipment engineer | 2144.1.19 | broader |
| mine mechanical engineer | 2144.1.12 | broader |
| precision engineer | 2144.1.17 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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