Best degree programs for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians, ranked by enrollment
4 college programs and 239 schools train Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $74,510 median wage, 36,190 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
4 college programs at 239 schools train mechanical engineering technologists and technicians, graduating 5,253 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician. The job pays a median of $74,510 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
4 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 15.0805 | 3,358 | 63.9% | 190 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
| 2 | Automotive Engineering Technology/Technicianmain feeder CIP 15.0803 | 1,292 | 24.6% | 47 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
| 3 | CIP 15.0899 | 476 | 9.1% | 15 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
| 4 | CIP 15.1103 | 127 | 2.4% | 5 | $59,013 | — |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What mechanical engineering technologists and technicians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $78,500 | 1,800 | 1.39× | 25 | 615 |
| Virginia | $75,650 | 670 | 0.71× | 6 | 564 |
| New York | $78,210 | 1,140 | 0.51× | 22 | 490 |
| North Carolina | $62,360 | 1,190 | 1.03× | 22 | 392 |
| Indiana | $77,220 | 1,500 | 2.01× | 8 | 330 |
| Michigan | $68,170 | 4,930 | 4.81× | 14 | 271 |
| Florida | $59,720 | 540 | 0.24× | 7 | 240 |
| New Jersey | $65,180 | 260 | 0.26× | 15 | 215 |
| Utahlimited | $61,870 | 900 | 2.24× | 2 | 171 |
| Illinois | $77,020 | 1,170 | 0.82× | 9 | 163 |
| Texas | $76,610 | 2,140 | 0.65× | 7 | 160 |
| Georgia | $73,870 | 560 | 0.50× | 7 | 157 |
| Alabama | $60,350 | 400 | 0.82× | 6 | 145 |
| Minnesota | $63,990 | 400 | 0.58× | 5 | 134 |
| Californiamoderate | $87,390 | 3,660 | 0.86× | 4 | 132 |
| Kansasmoderate | $55,390 | 410 | 1.24× | 3 | 125 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,820 | 1,620 | 1.15× | 11 | 100 |
| Missourimoderate | $92,150 | 800 | 1.17× | 4 | 87 |
| Connecticutlimited | $82,660 | 350 | 0.88× | 2 | 59 |
| Idaholimited | $68,310 | 30 | 0.16× | 1 | 49 |
| Washington | $79,410 | 890 | 1.07× | 5 | 48 |
| Coloradomoderate | $77,090 | 330 | 0.50× | 4 | 47 |
| South Carolina | $69,580 | 1,290 | 2.40× | 7 | 43 |
| Wisconsin | $67,850 | 900 | 1.31× | 5 | 39 |
| Oklahomalimited | $61,480 | 490 | 1.24× | 2 | 35 |
| Massachusettsmoderate | $62,390 | 1,310 | 1.55× | 4 | 33 |
| Mainelimited | $76,790 | 220 | 1.45× | 1 | 33 |
| West Virginialimited | $47,660 | 200 | 1.20× | 2 | 30 |
| New Hampshiremoderate | $66,740 | 570 | 3.58× | 3 | 27 |
| Tennessee | $62,270 | 580 | 0.76× | 5 | 26 |
| Arizonalimited | $72,090 | 730 | 0.97× | 1 | 23 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $81,600 | 30 | 0.27× | 1 | 18 |
| Delawarelimited | $77,820 | 50 | 0.43× | 1 | 12 |
| Nevadalimited | $72,950 | 420 | 1.17× | 1 | 12 |
| Iowalimited | $71,670 | 500 | 1.37× | 2 | 11 |
| New Mexicolimited | $97,560 | 320 | 1.57× | 2 | 9 |
| South Dakotalimited | $53,670 | 110 | 1.04× | 1 | 9 |
| Oregonlimited | $80,840 | 260 | 0.56× | 1 | 7 |
| Marylandlimited | $79,180 | 640 | 1.00× | 1 | 4 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.7
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Speaking3.6
- Active Listening3.5
- Writing3.4
- Mathematics3.2
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Learning3.1
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology4.3
- Mechanical4.2
- Mathematics3.8
- Computers and Electronics3.7
- English Language3.6
- Design3.6
Abilities
- Written Comprehension3.9
- Deductive Reasoning3.8
- Near Vision3.8
- Oral Comprehension3.8
- Inductive Reasoning3.8
- Problem Sensitivity3.8
Core activities
- Documenting/Recording Information4.2
- Getting Information4.2
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
- Working with Computers4.2
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.1
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.1
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Mechanical Engineering Technologist
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 4 majors mapped to Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0803Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0805Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0899Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
- 15.1103Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Mechanical Engineering Technologist?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician, which awarded 3,358 degrees in 2024-25, 63.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Mechanical Engineering Technologist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 5,253 people a year.
How much do mechanical engineering technologists and technicians earn?+
The median is $74,510 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $48,400 at the 10th percentile to $106,050 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +0.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 3,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
239 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 4 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do mechanical engineering technologists and technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Mechanical Designer, Research Technician, Laboratory Technician (Lab Technician), Mechanical Technician (Mechanical Tech), Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech), Research and Development Technician (R and D Tech) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 17-3027.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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