How to become a mechanical engineer
Official title: Mechanical engineer
Also called: Acoustics engineer, Cryogenics engineer, Diesel engine engineer, Fluid mechanics engineer, Fuel cell engineer, Fuel cell systems engineer, Gas turbine engineer, Internal combustion motor engineer, Lubrication engineer, Mechanical engineer (motors and engines, excluding marine), Piping engineer, Gas Systems Operations Engineer
Mechanical engineer carries out research on, designs and advises on mechanically functioning plant and equipment, and plans and supervises their development, manufacture, construction, installation, operation, maintenance and repair. He/she studies operating requirements for mechanically functioning plant and equipment such as machine tools, engines, vehicles, heating, ventilating and refrigerating plant, as well as plant and equipment for the release.
Main tasks
- Advising on and designing machinery and tools for manufacturing, mining, construction, agricultural, and other industrial purposes
- Advising on and designing superstructures and propulsion systems of mechanical plant and equipment for the release, control and utilisation of energy, heating, ventilation and refrigeration systems, steering gear, pumps, and other mechanical equipment
- Advising on and designing non-electrical parts of apparatus or products such as word processors, computers, precision instruments, cameras and projectors
- Establishing control standards and procedures to ensure efficient functioning and safety of machines, machinery, tools, motors, engines, industrial plant, equipment, or systems
- Ensuring that equipment, operation and maintenance comply with design specifications and safety standards
Ways in
- University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 4 universities in Singapore
- Licence or registration: Anyone can work as an engineer, but only a registered Professional Engineer with a practising certificate may supply professional engineering services, such as signing off civil, mechanical, electrical or chemical engineering plans submitted to the authorities. Registration needs an approved degree, at least four years of practical experience, the PEB's Fundamentals and Practice of Professional Engineering exams, and an interview. Law: Professional Engineers Act 1991. Regulator: Professional Engineers Board Singapore (PEB) (https://www1.peb.gov.sg).
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $74,460 a year. The middle half earn $58,800 to $104,136 a year.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a mechanical engineer?
Ways in include: Engineering degrees.
How much does a mechanical engineer earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $74,460 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $58,800 to $104,136.
Will AI change the work of a mechanical engineer?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026