Drafters, Engineering Technicians, and Mapping Technicians

How to become a Mechanical Engineering Technologist or Technician

Official title: Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Also called: Engineering Laboratory Technician (Engineering Lab Technician), Engineering Technical Analyst, Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech), Engineering Technologist, Manufacturing Engineering Technician (Manufacturing Engineering Tech), Mechanical Designer, Mechanical Technician (Mechanical Tech), Process Engineering Technician (Process Engineering Tech), Process Technician, Research and Development Technician (R and D Tech)

Apply theory and principles of mechanical engineering to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment under direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.

Main tasks

Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems.
Interpret engineering sketches, specifications, or drawings.
Calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval.
Review project instructions and blueprints to ascertain test specifications, procedures, and objectives, and test nature of technical problems such as redesign.
Provide technical support to other employees regarding mechanical design, fabrication, testing, or documentation.
Test machines, components, materials, or products to determine characteristics such as performance, strength, or response to stress.
Draft detail drawing or sketch for drafting room completion or to request parts fabrication by machine, sheet or wood shops.
Analyze test results in relation to design or rated specifications and test objectives, and modify or adjust equipment to meet specifications.

How to become one

Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate's degree or other postsecondary training to enter the occupation.

Typical education to start: Associate's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Heat Transfer Technician.
Apprenticeship: Mechanical Engineering Technician (Nof).
Apprenticeship: Optomechanical Technician.
Certificate or associate's degree: Associate's degree. Programs such as Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician; Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician; Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, Other

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $74,510 a year The middle half earn $59,510 to $88,110.
About 36,900 people work in this job now, and about 37,400 are projected by 2035. (+1.3%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Mechanical Engineering Technologist or Technician?

Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate's degree or other postsecondary training to enter the occupation.

How much does a Mechanical Engineering Technologist or Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $74,510 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $59,510 to $88,110.

Is a Mechanical Engineering Technologist or Technician a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 36,900 people now and 37,400 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Mechanical Engineering Technologist or Technician?

Usually not. Only 23% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Associate's degree; Heat Transfer Technician.

Will AI change the work of a Mechanical Engineering Technologist or Technician?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.