Mechanical engineers plan and design tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical equipment. They design and develop power-producing machines such as internal combustion engines, steam and gas turbines, and jet and rocket engines. They also design and develop power-using machines such as refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, robots, machine tools, materials handling systems, and industrial production equipment.
The work of mechanical engineers varies by industry and function. Specialties include, among others, applied mechanics, design engineering, heat transfer, power plant engineering, pressure vessels and piping, and underwater technology. Mechanical engineers design tools needed by other engineers for their work.
Mechanical engineering is the broadest engineering discipline, extending across many interdependent specialties. Some mechanical engineers work in production operations, maintenance, and technical sales. Many are administrators or managers.
A mechanical engineer uses a CAD workstation to design an improved industrial lathe.
Mechanical engineers held about 227,000 jobs in 1992. More than 3 out of 5 jobs were in manufacturing of these, most were in the machinery, transportation equipment, electrical equipment, instruments, and fabricated metal products industries. Business and engineering consulting services and government agencies provided most of the remaining jobs.
Employment of mechanical engineers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005. Although overall employment in manufacturing is expected to decline, employment of mechanical engineers in manufacturing should increase as the demand for machinery and machine tools grows and industrial machinery and processes become increasingly complex. Employment of mechanical engineers in other sectors of the economy, such as construction and services, is expected to grow faster than average as firms in these industries learn to apply these engineers' skills.
Job prospects in this field should be favorable through the year 2005. Most of the expected job openings resulting from employment growth and the need to replace those who will leave the occupation should be sufficient to absorb the supply of new graduates and other entrants.
Many mechanical engineering jobs are in defense related industries. Reductions in defense spending has and may continue to result in layoffs in these industries.
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Reprinted with Permission of U. S. Department of Labor