Mechanical Engineering

Types of Degrees Mechanical Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many mechanical engineering technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	2,705
Associate Degree	1,835
Basic Certificate	827
Undergraduate Certificate	542
Master’s Degree	87
Graduate Certificate	17

What Mechanical Engineering Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, ME tech majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for ME Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for ME Tech Majors

A major in ME tech prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for ME Tech Majors

A major in ME tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Mechanical Engineering Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with ME tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians	6.6%	$67,010
Automotive Engineering Technicians	5.0%	$56,250
Automotive Master Mechanics	6.1%	$40,710
Mechanical Engineering Technicians	5.0%	$56,250

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 2,705 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology in 2021, making it rank #114 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 90% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of ME tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	140
Black or African American	184
Hispanic or Latino	299
White	1,710
International Students	216
Other Races/Ethnicities	156

Geographic Diversity

ME Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 8.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• India
• China
• South Korea
• Kuwait

How Much Do Mechanical Engineering Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in ME tech have a median salary of $58,773 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $56,655 (25th percentile) and $62,179 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to ME tech.

Salaries According to BLS

ME Tech majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $43,730 to $68,970 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Mechanical Engineering

Some degrees associated with ME tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for ME tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	18.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	32.6%
Some College Courses	3.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	21.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	21.6%
Master’s Degree	3.5%

Online Mechanical Engineering Programs

In 2020-2021, 324 schools offered a ME tech program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	80	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	0
Associate’s Degree	247	5
Bachelor’s Degree	6	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	5	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Mechanical Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a ME tech grad is $58,240 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 46% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $366,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Mechanical Engineering

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to ME tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,906
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,593
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	8,964
Environmental Control Technology	8,690
Electronics Engineering Technology	8,592
Engineering-Related Fields	6,736
General Engineering Technology	4,676
Construction Engineering Technology	4,330
Quality Control Technology	3,824
Computer Engineering Technology	3,595
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,768
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,290
Energy Systems Technologies	1,256
Civil Engineering Technology	1,187
Engineering-Related Technologies	989
Mining & Petroleum Technology	445
Nuclear Engineering Technology	220
Nanotechnology	114

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.