Mechanical Engineering
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Overview:
Mechanical engineers research, develop,
design, manufacture, and test tools, engines,
machines, and other mechanical devices.
They work on power-producing machines such
as electric generators, internal combustion
engines, and steam and gas turbines, as well
as power-using machines such as refrigeration
and air-conditioning equipment, machine
tools, material handling systems, elevators
and escalators, industrial production
equipment, and robots used in manufacturing.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Overview (continued):
Mechanical engineers also design tools that
other engineers need for their work.
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest
engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers
may work in production operations in
manufacturing or agriculture, maintenance, or
technical sales; many are administrators or
managers.
Mechanics, energy and heat, mathematics,
engineering sciences, design and
manufacturing form the foundation of
mechanical engineering.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Preparation:
A bachelor's degree in engineering is required
for almost all entry-level engineering jobs.
Mechanical engineering programs provide
more than technical training: they teach the
more sophisticated skills of analysis and
problem-solving that apply to most any type
of engineering, manufacturing, business
ventures, management, or even legal practice.
They teach you how to learn, thought
processes and approaches that will serve you
throughout your life and career.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Preparation (continued):
Admissions requirements for engineering
schools include a background in mathematics
(algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus)
and science (biology, chemistry, physics), and
courses in English, social studies, humanities,
and computer and information technology.
Focus on becoming as well-rounded as
possible by taking a variety of humanities
courses, and include business and
communication courses whenever possible.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Preparation (continued):
Those interested in a career in Mechanical
Engineering should consider reviewing
engineering programs that are accredited by
the Accreditation Board for Engineering and
Technology, Inc. Accreditation is based on an
evaluation of an engineering program's
student achievement, program improvement,
faculty, curricular content, facilities, and
institutional commitment.
A list of universities offering accredited
degrees in Mechanical Engineering is available
at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Day in the Life:
There is no typical day for most mechanical
engineers. Engineering projects are multidisciplinary organizational efforts often
involving scores of people inside and outside
the company.
The issues and challenges start-off numerous
and evolve throughout the project. It is
difficult to characterize a typical day under
these circumstances. Laced within and among
other activities is a great deal of
communication -- on the phone, via e-mail, in
meetings, teleconferences, and reports.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Day in the Life (continued):
Teams and Coworkers
No engineer works alone. Engineering is a
team sport.
Mechanical Engineers often work in teams
consisting of engineers of different disciplines
who work in design, production, testing, sales
and service, people with finance, legal and
marketing backgrounds and project and
corporate management.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Day in the Life (continued):
Tasks
In their first job, 1/2 of all mechanical
engineers have a primary focus on some form
of design engineering and three-quarters do
some work in this area. Product, Systems, and
Plant Equipment Design are forms of design
engineering.
Mechanical engineers enjoy making a
contribution to improving the quality of life.
Whether it's improving the performance and
safety of an automobile -- or the latest in
medical diagnostic equipment.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Day in the Life (continued):
The Workplace
Mechanical Engineers work in many different
settings, most often as a matter of choice and
career planning.
Some mechanical engineers work in the
design centers and headquarters facilities of
high-tech companies, some prefer working in
the field, and some travel overseas to serve
clients and to develop new markets for
products and services. There's a good chance
that you won't spend all your waking hours
sitting at a workstation.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Earnings:
Earnings for engineers vary significantly by
specialty, industry, and education. Even so, as
a group, engineers earn some of the highest
average starting salaries.
According to a 2005 salary survey by the
National Association of Colleges and
Employers, those with bachelor's degrees in
mechanical engineering received starting
salary offers averaging $50,236 a year,
master's degree candidates were offered
$59,880, and Ph.D. candidates were offered
$68,299.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Employment:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, mechanical engineers held about
226,000 jobs in 2004. This represents 15.6%
of the 1.4 million jobs held by engineers in the
U.S. in 2004.
Mechanical engineers are capable of working
in a wide variety of industry sectors, and new
technologies will create industries that don't
exist today. Your opportunities are determined
by education, your interests and attitudes,
and the contacts that you make.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Employment (continued):
According to the an ASME Career Path Survey,
about half of mechanical engineers were
employed in the original equipment industries.
The next largest industry sector was nonmanufacturing employers, followed by process
industries.
A sample list of employers of Mechanical
Engineers is available at the Sloan Career
Cornerstone Center.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Career Path Forecast:
According to the U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, mechanical
engineers are projected to have an average
rate of employment growth through 2014.
Although total employment in manufacturing
industries -- where employment of mechanical
engineers is concentrated -- is expected to
decline, employment of mechanical engineers
in manufacturing should increase as the
demand for improved machinery and machine
tools grows and as industrial machinery and
processes become increasingly complex.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Career Path Forecast (continued):
Also, emerging technologies in biotechnology,
materials science, and nanotechnology will
create new job opportunities for mechanical
engineers.
Additional opportunities for mechanical
engineers will arise because the skills acquired
through earning a degree in mechanical
engineering often can be applied in other
engineering specialties.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Mechanical Engineering
Resources:
More information about Mechanical
Engineering is available at the Sloan Career
Cornerstone Center, including employer lists,
accredited Mechanical Engineering programs,
suggestions for precollege students, profiles of
Mechanical Engineers, a free monthly careers
newsletter, and a PDF that summarizes the
field.
Associations:
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ASME
Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Int. Congress of Mechanical Engineering Societies
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.