Engineering professionals

How to become a mechanical engineer

Official title: Mechanical engineers (professional)

Also called: Engineer, Mill engineer, Chief engineer, Heavy engineer, Plant engineer, Train engineer, Works engineer, Design engineer, Diesel engineer, Marine engineer, Piping engineer, Stress engineer

Professional mechanical engineers undertake research, design and development, direct the manufacture and manage the operation and maintenance of engines, machines, vehicle and ships’ structures, building services and other mechanical items.

Main tasks

Undertakes research and advises on energy use, materials handling, thermodynamic processes, fluid mechanics, vehicles and environmental controls
Determines materials, equipment, piping, capacities, layout of plant or system and specification for manufacture
Designs and develops mechanical equipment, such as steam, internal combustion and other non-electrical motors for railway locomotives, road vehicles and other machinery
Ensures that equipment, operation and maintenance comply with design specifications and safety standards
Organises and establishes control systems to monitor operational efficiency and performance of materials and systems

How to become one

Professional mechanical engineers usually possess an accredited university degree. After qualifying, periods of appropriate training and experience are required before membership of a chartered engineering institution is attainable. Incorporated engineers possess an accredited university degree, BTEC/SQA award or an apprenticeship leading to an NVQ/SVQ at level 4, followed by periods of training and relevant experience.

Ways in

Apprenticeship (England): Electro-mechanical engineer (level 6). England. Typically 60 months. Skills England standard ST0672.
Apprenticeship (England): Food and drink advanced engineer (integrated degree) (level 6). England. Typically 60 months. Skills England standard ST0529.
Apprenticeship (England): Food and drink engineer (level 5). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0624.
Apprenticeship (England): Tool process design engineer (level 6). England. Typically 48 months. Skills England standard ST0641.
University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 25 universities in the UK

Pay · Outlook

Median full-time pay: £51,110 a year The middle half earn £39,125 to £62,237.
About 77,800 people work in this job now, and about 86,400 are projected by 2035. (+11.1%)

Questions people ask

How do I become a mechanical engineer?

How much does a mechanical engineer earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £51,110 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £39,125 to £62,237.

Is a mechanical engineer a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2035, from about 77,800 to about 86,400 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a mechanical engineer?

Usually. 66% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.