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Mechanical Engineers - 17-2141.00

O*NET-SOC Description

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.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

  • Application Engineer
  • Design Engineer
  • Design Maintenance Engineer
  • Equipment Engineer
  • Mechanical Design Engineer
  • Mechanical Engineer
  • Process Engineer
  • Product Engineer
  • Project Engineer
  • Test Engineer

SOC Occupation Groups

17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations
17-2000 Engineers
17-2140 Mechanical Engineers
17-2141.00 Mechanical Engineers

Related Occupations

Tasks

  • Apply engineering principles or practices to emerging fields, such as robotics, waste management, or biomedical engineering.
  • Assist drafters in developing the structural design of products, using drafting tools or computer-assisted drafting equipment or software.
  • Calculate energy losses for buildings, using equipment such as computers, combustion analyzers, or pressure gauges.
  • Conduct research that tests or analyzes the feasibility, design, operation, or performance of equipment, components, or systems.
  • Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
  • Design integrated mechanical or alternative systems, such as mechanical cooling systems with natural ventilation systems, to improve energy efficiency.
  • Design test control apparatus or equipment or develop procedures for testing products.
  • Develop or test models of alternate designs or processing methods to assess feasibility, sustainability, operating condition effects, potential new applications, or necessity of modification.
  • Develop, coordinate, or monitor all aspects of production, including selection of manufacturing methods, fabrication, or operation of product designs.
  • Direct the installation, operation, maintenance, or repair of renewable energy equipment, such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) or water systems.
  • Establish or coordinate the maintenance or safety procedures, service schedule, or supply of materials required to maintain machines or equipment in the prescribed condition.
  • Estimate costs or submit bids for engineering, construction, or extraction projects.
  • Evaluate mechanical designs or prototypes for energy performance or environmental impact.
  • Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
  • Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, or repair to ensure that machines or equipment are installed and functioning according to specifications.
  • Perform personnel functions, such as supervision of production workers, technicians, technologists, or other engineers.
  • Provide feedback to design engineers on customer problems or needs.
  • Provide technical customer service.
  • Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
  • Recommend design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions.
  • Recommend the use of utility or energy services that minimize carbon footprints.
  • Research and analyze customer design proposals, specifications, manuals, or other data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, or maintenance requirements of designs or applications.
  • Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
  • Select or install combined heat units, power units, cogeneration equipment, or trigeneration equipment that reduces energy use or pollution.
  • Solicit new business.
  • Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
  • Study industrial processes to maximize the efficiency of equipment applications, including equipment placement.
  • Write performance requirements for product development or engineering projects.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Advise customers on the use of products or services.
  • Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.
  • Analyze design or requirements information for mechanical equipment or systems.
  • Confer with other personnel to resolve design or operational problems.
  • Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
  • Coordinate safety or regulatory compliance activities.
  • Create models of engineering designs or methods.
  • Design electronic or computer equipment or instrumentation.
  • Design industrial equipment.
  • Design industrial processing systems.
  • Determine operational methods.
  • Direct equipment maintenance or repair activities.
  • Direct industrial production activities.
  • Direct installation activities.
  • Document technical design details.
  • Estimate operational costs.
  • Evaluate characteristics of equipment or systems.
  • Evaluate plans or specifications to determine technological or environmental implications.
  • Identify new applications for existing technologies.
  • Implement design or process improvements.
  • Install production equipment or systems.
  • Investigate system, equipment, or product failures.
  • Perform marketing activities.
  • Prepare proposal documents.
  • Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
  • Research industrial processes or operations.
  • Review technical documents to plan work.
  • Select tools, equipment, or technologies for use in operations or projects.
  • Supervise production or support personnel.
  • Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.

Military Crosswalk Titles

  • Aeronautical Engineering Officer, Aircraft Mechanical, Electronic, Electrical and Safety Equipment (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Aircraft Armament Development Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Army Astronaut (Army - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer (Space Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, ABM (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Airlift (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Architect/Architectural Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Bomber (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, C2ISREW (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Civil Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Environmental Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Fighter (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, General (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, General Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Helicopter or EWO (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Industrial Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer (Space Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Readiness Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, RPA (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Special Operations (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Tanker (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Civil Engineer, Trainer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer (Space Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, ABM (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Aeronautical (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Airlift (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Astronautical (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Bomber (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, C2ISREW (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Computer Systems (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Electrical/Electronic (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Fighter (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Flight Test (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, General (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Helicopter or EWO (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Mechanical (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Mechanical (Space Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Project (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, RPA (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Special Operations (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Systems/Industrial/Human Factors (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Tanker (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Developmental Engineer, Trainer (Air Force - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Engineering Liaison Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Ground Support Equipment and Ship Facilities Arrangement Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Launching, Recovery and Landing Aids Engineering Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Marine Safety Specialist Deck (Coast Guard - Warrant Officer only)
  • Marine Safety Specialist Engineer (Coast Guard - Warrant Officer only)
  • Naval Engineering Inspection Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Naval Engineering Officer, Ship Design (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Naval Engineering Trials and Survey Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Ordnance Systems Engineer (Marine Corps - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Research and Engineering (Army - Commissioned Officer only)
  • RL - Naval Reactors Engineer (Navy - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Ship Construction and Repair Superintendent (General) (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Ship Construction and Repair Superintendent (Nuclear) (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Ship Construction and Repair Superintendent (Submarines) (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Ship Construction and Repair Superintendent (Surface Ships) (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Ship Repair Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Ship Type Engineering Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Ship Type Planning and Estimating Superintendent (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Space Operations (Army - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Test and Evaluation (Army - Commissioned Officer only)
  • Torpedoman's Mate (Navy - Enlisted)
  • Training Device Program Coordinator (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons and Ammunition Production Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons Design Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons Installation and Repair Superintendent (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons Maintenance Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons Military Characteristics Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons Plans and Policies Director (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons Research Planning Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons Systems Inspection and Survey Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)
  • Weapons Technical Officer (Navy - Commissioned or Warrant Officer)

Apprenticeship Crosswalk Titles

  • Tool Designer
  • Tool Maker

DOT Crosswalk Titles

  • Applications Engineer, Manufacturing
  • Mechanical Engineer
  • Mechanical Research Engineer
  • Mechanical-Design Engineer, Facilities
  • Mechanical-Design Engineer, Products
  • Stress Analyst
  • Test Engineer, Mechanical Equipment
  • Tool Designer
  • Tool-Designer Apprentice
  • Utilization Engineer