Headline risk
2%
Very Low RiskMechanical engineers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment such as centralized heat, gas, water, and steam systems.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 8% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 102,320
Employment 2024
293.1K
Projected Change (2024–34)
9.1%
Openings (2024–34)
18.1K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of mechanical engineers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports. AI use: 98%
- 2. Conduct or direct system-level automotive testing. AI use: 0%
- 3. Provide technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel. AI use: 0%
- 4. Perform failure, variation, or root cause analyses. AI use: 0%
- 5. Plan or conduct experiments to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, reduce conditioning time, or examine contaminant tolerance. AI use: 0%
- 6. Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 41.2 · 419K employed
Under 25: 7% · 25–54: 70% · 55+: 23%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
crosswalk_exact · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices.
Mechanical engineers generally work in offices. They may occasionally visit worksites where a problem or piece of equipment needs their personal attention. Mechanical engineers work mostly in engineering services, research and development, and manufacturing.
Mechanical engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or mechanical engineering technology. All states and the District of Columbia require mechanical engineers who sell services to the public to be licensed.
The median annual wage for mechanical engineers was $102,320 in May 2024.
Employment of mechanical engineers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.