Mechanical Engineers
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.
296,810 people do this job in the US. $104,110 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 76%
- 2%
- 22%
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, 5%. Today's estimate: 7%.
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 . 28 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 2.5 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Develop, coordinate, or monitor all aspects of production, including selection of manufacturing methods, fabrication, or operation of product designs.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 7% | 2.5 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Nov 2028 | |
| Apply engineering principles or practices to emerging fields, such as robotics, waste management, or biomedical engineering.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 2.5 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Nov 2028 | |
| Develop or test models of alternate designs or processing methods to assess feasibility, sustainability, operating condition effects, potential new applications, or necessity of modification.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 7% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2029 | |
| Design integrated mechanical or alternative systems, such as mechanical cooling systems with natural ventilation systems, to improve energy efficiency.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 2.5 work weeks | 0%Half by Jan 2029 | |
| Study industrial processes to maximize the efficiency of equipment applications, including equipment placement.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 2.1 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Sep 2028 | |
| Research and analyze customer design proposals, specifications, manuals, or other data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, or maintenance requirements of designs or applications.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 3.3 work days | 7%Half by Nov 2027 | |
| Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 3.3 h50 min to 2.1 work days | 18%Half by Jul 2027 | |
| Direct the installation, operation, maintenance, or repair of renewable energy equipment, such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) or water systems.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 2.1 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | Stays with people | |
| Conduct research that tests or analyzes the feasibility, design, operation, or performance of equipment, components, or systems.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 2.1 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Apr 2028 | |
| Design test control apparatus or equipment or develop procedures for testing products.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 2.1 work days6.7 h to 1.4 work weeks | 1%Half by Mar 2028 |
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.
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians16% now, 49% by 2028
- Electrical Engineers3% now, 46% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians17% now, 49% by 2028
- Mechatronics Engineers4% now, 51% by 2028
- Industrial Engineers16% now, 94% by 2028
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer5% now, 52% 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).