Occupation salary profile

Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

SOC 17-3027 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Apply theory and principles of mechanical engineering to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment under direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.

National median · BLS
$74,510
▲ +8.41% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$65,520
▼ -11.17% YoY · 47 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$76,380
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
36,190
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 47 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$48,400$50,000
25th$59,510$60,000
Median (50th)$74,510$65,520
75th$88,110$80,672
90th — top pay$106,050$88,200
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $65,520 for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians — 12.1% below the BLS national median of $74,510.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

BLS projects employment of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians to grow 1.3% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 3,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
36,900 → 37,400
+500 jobs
Projected change
+1.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
3,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
1.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need an associate's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $65,520
Change vs prior year -11.17%
After inflation (CPI-U) -13.87%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 12 25.5% $48,458 $50,657 $62,398
Level II 19 40.4% $61,000 $64,272 $67,246
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Complex Problem Solving3.6
  • Speaking3.6
  • Operations Monitoring3.5
  • Writing3.5
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.4
  • Mathematics3.3
  • Quality Control Analysis3.3
Top knowledge areas
  • Engineering and Technology4.2
  • Mechanical4.1
  • Design4.0
  • Mathematics3.7
  • English Language3.5
  • Computers and Electronics3.4
  • Production and Processing3.3
  • Physics3.2
Software and technology used
Dassault Systemes SolidWorksMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareAutodesk AutoCADAutodesk RevitBentley MicroStationC++Microsoft AccessMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft Visual BasicMicrosoft WordSAP softwareThe MathWorks MATLABAnsys FluentANSYS Mechanical

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What mechanical engineering technologists and technicians do

  • Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems.
  • Interpret engineering sketches, specifications, or drawings.
  • Calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval.
  • Review project instructions and blueprints to ascertain test specifications, procedures, and objectives, and test nature of technical problems such as redesign.
  • Provide technical support to other employees regarding mechanical design, fabrication, testing, or documentation.
  • Test machines, components, materials, or products to determine characteristics such as performance, strength, or response to stress.
  • Draft detail drawing or sketch for drafting room completion or to request parts fabrication by machine, sheet or wood shops.
  • Analyze test results in relation to design or rated specifications and test objectives, and modify or adjust equipment to meet specifications.
Also called
Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)Mechanical DesignerMechanical Technician (Mechanical Tech)Research and Development Technician (R and D Tech)Engineering Laboratory Technician (Engineering Lab Technician)Engineering Technical AnalystEngineering TechnologistManufacturing Engineering Technician (Manufacturing Engineering Tech)Process Engineering Technician (Process Engineering Tech)Process Technician
Specialties within this occupation
  • Automotive Engineering Technicians
More job titles for this occupation (47)
Apparatus Engineering TechnologistAutomation Design CheckerAutomotive Design Checker (Auto Design Checker)Automotive Engineering TechnicianAutomotive Technician (Auto Technician)Automotive Test Technician (Auto Test Technician)Brinell TesterCertified Control Systems Technician (CCST)Computer-Aided Design DesignerDevelopment TechnicianDurability TechnicianElectrical Mechanical Maintenance TechnicianEngineering AideEngineering AnalystEngineering Data AnalystEngineering Drawings CheckerExperimental TechnicianGyroscope TechnicianGyroscopic Engineering TechnicianHeat Transfer TechnicianHydraulic TechnicianLaboratory Technician (Lab Technician)Laser TechnicianMechanical Assembly Technician (Mechanical Assembly Tech)Mechanical Engineering Technician (Mechanical Engineering Tech)Mechanical Engineering TechnologistMechanical InspectorMechanical Repair Technician (Mechanical Repair Tech)Mechanical Service SpecialistMechanical Service Technician (Mechanical Service Tech)Mechanical TechnologistMechanical Test Technician (Mechanical Test Tech)Motor TesterOperations AnalystOptomechanical TechnicianPerformance TechnicianProcess AnalystProof TechnicianResearch TechnicianSystems AnalystSystems Engineering AnalystTechnical AnalystTest Engineering AnalystTool AnalystTool Design CheckerTooling Engineering TechnicianTransportation Engineering Technician

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.