Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Apply theory and principles of mechanical engineering to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment under direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.
36,190 people do this job in the US. $74,510 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 53%
- 1%
- 46%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 12%. Today's estimate: 16%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 30 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 12% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Design specialized or customized equipment, machines, or structures.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 12% | 3.1 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Aug 2028 | |
| Test machines, components, materials, or products to determine characteristics such as performance, strength, or response to stress.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | 46%Half by Oct 2026 | |
| Set up prototype and test apparatus and operate test controlling equipment to observe and record prototype test results.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Devise, fabricate, or assemble new or modified mechanical components for products such as industrial machinery or equipment, and measuring instruments. | 5% | 1 work day3.3 h to 4.2 work days | Stays with people | |
| Set up and conduct tests of complete units and components under operational conditions to investigate proposals for improving equipment performance.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 5 h2.1 h to 2.1 work days | Stays with people | |
| Prepare specifications, designs, or sketches for machines, components, or systems related to the generation, transmission, or use of mechanical or fluid energy.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 4% | 5 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | 15%Half by Jun 2027 | |
| Design molds, tools, dies, jigs, or fixtures for use in manufacturing processes.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 1 work day2.5 h to 3.1 work days | 5%Half by Oct 2027 | |
| Assist engineers to design, develop, test, or manufacture industrial machinery, consumer products, or other equipment.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Conduct failure analyses, document results, and recommend corrective actions.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 5 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | 15%Half by Jun 2027 | |
| Prepare layouts of machinery, tools, plants, or equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 5 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | 15%Half by Jun 2027 |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians17% now, 55% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians17% now, 49% by 2028
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians4% now, 17% by 2028
- Robotics Technicians11% now, 26% by 2028
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians12% now, 62% by 2028
- Mechanical Drafters24% now, 95% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).