US Colleges >> By Career >> Mechanical Engineering Technicians


Career and School Info for Mechanical Engineering Technicians

Spotlight Schools Search

Your ZIP?
Subject?
Degree?
Location? Online Campus Either

  School and Career Overview

Mechanical Engineering Technicians Job Description

Career tips, salaries, and lists of schools.

Mechanical engineering technicians duties include assisting engineers in developing, designing, manufacturing and testing consumer products, industrial machinery, tools and other items. Mechanical engineering technicians work on a wide variety of products. Many mechanical engineering technicians are involved in design and development and some work in production.

Mechanical technicians work on the tools and machines that are used to make products. They work with large parts and tiny parts. Some mechanical technicians spend a lot of their time developing layouts and drawings of products.

Shown below are some of their responsibilities:

  • Evaluate testing methods to determine if changes should be made
  • Help solve production problems
  • Assist in installing, operating and maintaining machinery used to manufacture products
  • Evaluate manufacturing processes to determine if they can be performed better or in a less expensive way
  • Evaluate blueprints and project instructions to determine test specifications, procedures and objectives
  • Make cost estimates
  • Develop detailed drawings
  • Test machinery and parts

Degrees and Schools

Associate degrees are available in mechanical engineering technology and engineering technology. Many public and private schools offer technical training and the type and quality of training varies significantly.

Technical institutes typically provide plenty of technical training through practice and application, however technical institutes usually provide less general education and theory than community colleges. Some colleges offer bachelor's degrees in engineering technology, however graduates of these programs are typically employed as technologists or applied engineers and not as technicians.

Those who graduated from an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited program are typically recognized as having an acceptable level of competence in the topics of science and math and also technical courses that are required for the occupation.

Classes

Students seeking to become mechanical engineering technicians typically study the following subjects:

  • Algebra
  • Machine design
  • Robotics
  • Trigonometry
  • Thermodynamics
  • Mechanical design
  • Fluid mechanics
  • Manufacturing processes
  • Materials

Online Classes and Programs

Associate degrees are available online in mechanical engineering technology and engineering technology. However, most students prefer taking the programs on-campus in order to get plenty of hands-on training.

Employment Requirements

Most employers hire people who at least have an associate degree in mechanical engineering technology or engineering technology.

For some jobs, such as tool design, apprenticeship programs are provided that blend on-the-job-training and classroom instruction. It typically takes two to four years to complete an apprenticeship program.

Employers usually don't require engineering technicians to be certified, however engineering technicians that have certification may have a competitive advantage. The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies provides certification programs for several engineering technology specialties.

The major employment sectors are tool manufacturers, machinery manufacturers, engineering services; aerospace products and parts manufacturing; navigational measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing and government agencies.

How to Evaluate Schools and Programs

The answers to the following questions can help students select the appropriate school:

  • Training - Does the program provide plenty of hands-on training? Does the program include an internship? Do students have a variety of internship choices?
  • School's Reputation - Is the school recognized for its mechanical engineering technology program?
  • Job Placement - Does the school provide job placement services? Do employers of mechanical engineering technicians recruit students at the school?
  • Curriculum - What type of electives are offered? Can students select an area of specialization?
  • Financial Aid - What types of financial aid are available? Is the school eligible to provide federal financial aid?
  • Accreditation - Is the school accredited by an agency which has been approved by the the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education?

Resources