Engineering Technology

Alternative Job Titles for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

• 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)

Job Tasks and Activities for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

• Analyze costs and benefits of proposed designs or projects.
• Analyze energy requirements and distribution systems to maximize the use of intermittent or inflexible renewable energy sources, such as wind or nuclear.
• Analyze green technology design requirements.
• Analyze test or validation data.
• Analyze test results in relation to design or rated specifications and test objectives, and modify or adjust equipment to meet specifications.
• Assemble equipment or components.
• Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems.
• Assist engineers or scientists with research.
• Assist engineers to design, develop, test, or manufacture industrial machinery, consumer products, or other equipment.
• Assist mechanical engineers in product testing through activities such as setting up instrumentation for automobile crash tests.
• Calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval.
• Conduct failure analyses, document results, and recommend corrective actions.
• Conduct quantitative failure analyses of operational data.
• Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable and nonsustainable designs.
• Create graphical representations of industrial production systems.
• Create graphical representations of mechanical equipment.
• Design industrial equipment.
• Design molds, tools, dies, jigs, or fixtures for use in manufacturing processes.
• Design specialized or customized equipment, machines, or structures.
• Document design or operational test results.
• Document technical design details.
• Draft detail drawing or sketch for drafting room completion or to request parts fabrication by machine, sheet or wood shops.
• Estimate cost factors including labor and material for purchased and fabricated parts and costs for assembly, testing, or installing.
• Estimate operational costs.
• Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
• Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.
• Evaluate tool drawing designs by measuring drawing dimensions and comparing with original specifications for form and function using engineering skills.
• Explain engineering drawings, specifications, or other technical information.
• Interpret engineering sketches, specifications, or drawings.
• Monitor the productivity or efficiency of industrial operations.
• Prepare contracts, disclosures, or applications.
• Prepare equipment inspection schedules, reliability schedules, work plans, or other records.
• Prepare layouts of machinery, tools, plants, or equipment.
• Prepare parts sketches and write work orders and purchase requests to be furnished by outside contractors.
• Prepare specifications, designs, or sketches for machines, components, or systems related to the generation, transmission, or use of mechanical or fluid energy.
• Provide technical guidance to other personnel.
• Provide technical support to other employees regarding mechanical design, fabrication, testing, or documentation.
• Read dials and meters to determine amperage, voltage, electrical output and input at specific operating temperature to analyze parts performance.
• Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
• Record test procedures and results, numerical and graphical data, and recommendations for changes in product or test methods.
• Review project instructions and blueprints to ascertain test specifications, procedures, and objectives, and test nature of technical problems such as redesign.
• Review project instructions and specifications to identify, modify and plan requirements fabrication, assembly and testing.
• Review technical documents to plan work.
• Schedule operational activities.
• Set up and conduct tests of complete units and components under operational conditions to investigate proposals for improving equipment performance.
• Set up prototype and test apparatus and operate test controlling equipment to observe and record prototype test results.
• Test characteristics of materials or structures.
• Test machines, components, materials, or products to determine characteristics such as performance, strength, or response to stress.
• Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
• Test products for functionality or quality.

Interests for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

• Realistic
  Designing, building, or repairing equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors.
• Investigative
  Studying and researching scientific subjects and human behavior.
• Conventional
  Following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting.

Skills for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

In order of importance

• Critical Thinking
  Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
  Importance: 69/100
• Active Listening
  Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
  Importance: 69/100
• Reading Comprehension
  Reading work-related information.
  Importance: 69/100
• Complex Problem Solving
  Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
  Importance: 66/100
• Speaking
  Talking to others.
  Importance: 66/100
• Writing
  Writing things for co-workers or customers.
  Importance: 63/100
• Operations Monitoring
  Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
  Importance: 63/100
• Judgment and Decision Making
  Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
  Importance: 60/100
• Systems Analysis
  Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
  Importance: 56/100
• Mathematics
  Using math to solve problems.
  Importance: 56/100
• Quality Control Analysis
  Testing how well a product or service works.
  Importance: 56/100
• Monitoring
  Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
  Importance: 53/100
• Active Learning
  Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
  Importance: 53/100
• Time Management
  Managing your time and the time of other people.
  Importance: 53/100
• Systems Evaluation
  Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
  Importance: 53/100
• Operation and Control
  Using equipment or systems.
  Importance: 50/100
• Social Perceptiveness
  Understanding people's reactions.
  Importance: 50/100
• Coordination
  Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
  Importance: 50/100
• Science
  Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
  Importance: 50/100
• Persuasion
  Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
  Importance: 50/100
• Troubleshooting
  Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
  Importance: 47/100
• Service Orientation
  Looking for ways to help people.
  Importance: 47/100
• Instructing
  Teaching people how to do something.
  Importance: 44/100
• Equipment Selection
  Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
  Importance: 44/100
• Negotiation
  Bringing people together to solve differences.
  Importance: 44/100
• Learning Strategies
  Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
  Importance: 44/100
• Repairing
  Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
  Importance: 41/100
• Equipment Maintenance
  Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
  Importance: 41/100
• Management of Personnel Resources
  Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
  Importance: 41/100
• Operations Analysis
  Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
  Importance: 41/100
• Technology Design
  Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
  Importance: 35/100
• Programming
  Writing computer programs.
  Importance: 25/100
• Management of Material Resources
  Managing equipment and materials.
  Importance: 25/100
• Management of Financial Resources
  Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
  Importance: 22/100
• Installation
  Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
  Importance: 10/100

Knowledge for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

In order of importance

• 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.
  Importance: 79/100
• Mechanical
  Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  Importance: 79/100
• Design
  Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  Importance: 75/100
• Mathematics
  Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  Importance: 67/100
• English Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  Importance: 62/100
• Computers and Electronics
  Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  Importance: 59/100
• Production and Processing
  Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  Importance: 58/100
• Physics
  Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
  Importance: 55/100
• Administrative
  Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  Importance: 51/100
• Customer and Personal Service
  Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  Importance: 46/100
• Administration and Management
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  Importance: 46/100
• Education and Training
  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  Importance: 41/100
• Building and Construction
  Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  Importance: 38/100
• Law and Government
  Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  Importance: 37/100
• Public Safety and Security
  Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  Importance: 37/100
• Chemistry
  Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  Importance: 34/100
• Communications and Media
  Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  Importance: 29/100
• Telecommunications
  Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  Importance: 26/100
• Economics and Accounting
  Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
  Importance: 26/100
• Transportation
  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  Importance: 21/100
• Personnel and Human Resources
  Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  Importance: 20/100
• Food Production
  Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
  Importance: 17/100
• Geography
  Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
  Importance: 13/100
• Foreign Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
  Importance: 11/100
• Psychology
  Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  Importance: 11/100
• Sales and Marketing
  Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  Importance: 10/100
• Medicine and Dentistry
  Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  Importance: 9/100
• History and Archeology
  Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
  Importance: 9/100
• Philosophy and Theology
  Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
  Importance: 8/100
• Biology
  Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  Importance: 7/100
• Sociology and Anthropology
  Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
  Importance: 6/100
• Therapy and Counseling
  Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  Importance: 6/100
• Fine Arts
  Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  Importance: 1/100

Physical Abilities for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

In order of importance

• Written Comprehension
  Reading and understanding what is written.
  Importance: 75/100
• Oral Comprehension
  Listening and understanding what people say.
  Importance: 75/100
• Near Vision
  Seeing details up close.
  Importance: 72/100
• Information Ordering
  Ordering or arranging things.
  Importance: 72/100
• Speech Recognition
  Recognizing spoken words.
  Importance: 69/100
• Oral Expression
  Communicating by speaking.
  Importance: 69/100
• Deductive Reasoning
  Using rules to solve problems.
  Importance: 69/100
• Problem Sensitivity
  Noticing when problems happen.
  Importance: 69/100
• Inductive Reasoning
  Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
  Importance: 69/100
• Category Flexibility
  Grouping things in different ways.
  Importance: 63/100
• Selective Attention
  Paying attention to something without being distracted.
  Importance: 63/100
• Number Facility
  Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
  Importance: 63/100
• Written Expression
  Communicating by writing.
  Importance: 60/100
• Flexibility of Closure
  Seeing hidden patterns.
  Importance: 60/100
• Mathematical Reasoning
  Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
  Importance: 60/100
• Visualization
  Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
  Importance: 60/100
• Perceptual Speed
  Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
  Importance: 56/100
• Speech Clarity
  Speaking clearly.
  Importance: 56/100
• Finger Dexterity
  Putting together small parts with your fingers.
  Importance: 53/100
• Far Vision
  Seeing details that are far away.
  Importance: 53/100
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  Keeping your arm or hand steady.
  Importance: 53/100
• Control Precision
  Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
  Importance: 53/100
• Fluency of Ideas
  Coming up with lots of ideas.
  Importance: 53/100
• Originality
  Creating new and original ideas.
  Importance: 53/100
• Visual Color Discrimination
  Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
  Importance: 50/100
• Manual Dexterity
  Holding or moving items with your hands.
  Importance: 50/100
• Multilimb Coordination
  Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
  Importance: 47/100
• Auditory Attention
  Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
  Importance: 47/100
• Reaction Time
  Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
  Importance: 44/100
• Memorization
  Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
  Importance: 44/100
• Hearing Sensitivity
  Telling the difference between sounds.
  Importance: 41/100
• Time Sharing
  Doing two or more things at the same time.
  Importance: 41/100
• Speed of Closure
  Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
  Importance: 41/100
• Extent Flexibility
  Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  Importance: 35/100
• Trunk Strength
  Using your lower back and stomach.
  Importance: 35/100
• Rate Control
  Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
  Importance: 35/100
• Depth Perception
  Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
  Importance: 31/100
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
  Importance: 31/100
• Stamina
  Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
  Importance: 28/100
• Response Orientation
  Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
  Importance: 28/100
• Static Strength
  Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
  Importance: 28/100
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  Keeping your balance or staying upright.
  Importance: 25/100
• Gross Body Coordination
  Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
  Importance: 25/100
• Spatial Orientation
  Knowing where things are around you.
  Importance: 25/100
• Glare Sensitivity
  Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
  Importance: 25/100
• Explosive Strength
  Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
  Importance: 25/100
• Night Vision
  Seeing at night or under low light.
  Importance: 25/100
• Peripheral Vision
  Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
  Importance: 25/100
• Sound Localization
  Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
  Importance: 25/100
• Dynamic Strength
  Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
  Importance: 25/100
• Speed of Limb Movement
  Quickly moving your arms and legs.
  Importance: 16/100

Tools and Technology used by Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

• Accelerometers
• Adjustable wrenches
• Air compressors
• Ammeters
• Amplifiers
• Analytical balances
• Anemometers
• Angle grinder
• Belt sander
• Bench scales
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Boring machines
• C clamps
• Calipers
• Calorimeters
• Claw hammer
• Comparators
• Compression testers
• Coordinate measuring machines CMM
• Cutting die
• Cylinder gauge
• Dial indicator or dial gauge
• Drill press or radial drill
• Dynamometers
• Extruders
• Fatigue testers
• Flow sensors
• Flow transmitters
• Force or torque sensors
• Forklifts
• Form tools or toolbits
• Fume hoods or cupboards
• Fused deposition modeling machine
• Gage block set
• Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
• Go or no go gauge
• Goggles
• Graphics tablets
• Hacksaw
• Hardness testers
• Height gauges
• Hex keys
• Hole gauge
• Horizontal turning center
• Hydraulic press frames
• Impact testers
• Induction heaters
• Injection molding machines
• Inverted microscopes
• Laboratory benches
• Laminated object manufacturing machine
• Levels
• Lifter plate
• Load frame
• Loadcells
• Locking pliers
• Longnose pliers
• Manual press brake
• Metal band sawing machine
• Metal inert gas welding machine
• Metal markers or holders
• Metal polishing machine
• Metal slitting saw
• Metal testing instruments
• Microcontrollers
• Micrometers
• Microprocessors
• Mill saw file
• Milling machines
• Multimeters
• Notebook computers
• Nut drivers
• Offset screw driver
• Oscilloscopes
• Personal computers
• Photoelastic testing instruments
• Pitch measuring instruments
• Plasma cutting machine
• Plotter printers
• Pneumatic impact wrenches
• Polarimeters
• Polishing machines
• Positioning jig
• Power drills
• Power grinders
• Power saws
• Pressure indicators
• Pressure sensors
• Protective gloves
• Protractors
• Punches or nail sets or drifts
• Rotameters
• Rulers
• Scanners
• Screwdrivers
• Scribers
• Scroll saw
• Selective laser sintering machine
• Shear strength testers
• Shears
• Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
• Signal conditioners
• Signal generators
• Sine bar
• Slip or groove joint pliers
• Socket sets
• Sound measuring apparatus or decibel meter
• Spectrometers
• Spot welding machine
• Squares
• Strain gauges
• Stripping tools
• Surface grinding machine
• Tape measures
• Taper gauge
• Taps
• Temperature transmitters
• Tension testers
• Thermal differential analyzers
• Thickness measuring devices
• Thread counters or gauges
• Three dimensional printing machine
• Torsion testers
• Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
• Tumblers or polishers
• Tungsten inert gas welding machine
• Twin screw extruder
• Ultrasonic examination equipment
• Universal milling machine
• Utility knives
• Vacuum molding machines
• Vacuum pumps
• Vertical machining center
• Vibration testers
• Water baths
• Wave soldering machine
• Welder torch
• Welding masks
• Wire cutters
• Analytical or scientific software
  • ANSYS Mechanical
  • ANSYS simulation software
  • Ansys Fluent
  • Data acquisition software
  • Finite element method FEM software
  • Intellisense Intellisuite
  • MSC Software Adams
  • Spectral Dynamics Star Acoustics
  • Spectral Dynamics Star Modal
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • Wolfram Research Mathematica
• Cloud-based data access and sharing software
  • Microsoft SharePoint
• Computer aided design CAD software
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Mechanical
  • Autodesk Inventor
  • Autodesk Revit
  • Bentley MicroStation
  • Computer aided design CAD software
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
  • IBM CATIA
  • Mathsoft Mathcad
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • PTC Pro/ENGINEER Mechanica
• Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
  • CNC Mastercam
  • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
  • Stereolithography SLA rapid prototyping systems
  • TekSoft CAMWorks
  • Three-dimensional 3D solid modeling software
• Data base user interface and query software
  • Microsoft Access
• Development environment software
  • Microsoft Visual Basic
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
• Electronic mail software
  • Microsoft Outlook
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • SAP software
• Industrial control software
  • Computerized numerical control CNC programming software
  • Robotic control software
  • Soft Servo Systems LadderWorks PLC
• Internet browser software
  • Web browser software
• Object or component oriented development software
  • C++
• Office suite software
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Microsoft Office software
• Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
• Process mapping and design software
  • ProModel
• Project management software
  • Microsoft Project
• Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel
• Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word

Employment Industries for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

• Engineering services
  6,100 employed
• Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences
  4,400 employed
• Machinery manufacturing (3331,2,4,9)
  3,400 employed
• Motor vehicle parts manufacturing
  1,700 employed
• Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing
  1,600 employed
• Testing laboratories and services
  1,600 employed
• Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing
  1,100 employed
• Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
  1,100 employed
• Fabricated metal product manufacturing (3321,2,5,6,9)
  1,000 employed
• Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing
  900 employed