What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians in the U.S. earn more than $74,510 a year — the middle 80% land between $48,400 and $106,050. About 36,190 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$74,510typical pay / year
36,190people in this work
$106,050+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record1
Record test procedures and results
+Record the benzodiazepine panel run from 08:30 on bay 3: note lot numbers, calibration check results,…
Record test procedures and results
+Record the benzodiazepine panel run from 08:30 on bay 3: note lot numbers, calibration check results, operator initials, instrument serial, raw readings, and final pass/fail in the lab log, then save a timestamped test report and alert QA if any control failed.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordESCOjob descriptionsO*NET
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Fixing2
Inspect automotive systems and components regularly
+Inspect vehicle sample 7's fuel, braking and ignition systems this morning: walk each component, record wear,…
Inspect automotive systems and components regularly
+Inspect vehicle sample 7's fuel, braking and ignition systems this morning: walk each component, record wear, leak or failure observations, photograph any damaged parts, update the inspection checklist, and flag the vehicle out-of-service if any critical defect appears.
The tools that do the workdiagnosticjob descriptionsO*NET
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Operate equipment used in motor vehicles
+Operate dynamometer and onboard emission rig with sample car 12: pre-check fluid levels and mounts, run the…
Operate equipment used in motor vehicles
+Operate dynamometer and onboard emission rig with sample car 12: pre-check fluid levels and mounts, run the warm-up cycle, perform the 2-minute idle and 3-step load runs, record sensor traces and RPM, then shut down and store the data file for analysis.
The tools that do the workData acquisitiondiagnosticESCOO*NET
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Analysing1
Review blueprints and designs to determine test specifications and procedures
+Review the brake assembly blueprint and the test rig drawing to set pass thresholds: list required torque…
Review blueprints and designs to determine test specifications and procedures
+Review the brake assembly blueprint and the test rig drawing to set pass thresholds: list required torque values, sample orientation, fixture clearances, and measurement points, then write the step-by-step procedure and supply a parts list for the test run on Thursday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCAD MechanicalESCOO*NET
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The daily work16
Recommend product or component design improvements, based on test data or observations.
+Review last quarter's failure logs and the breakage patterns from the sobriety cup tests, then recommend…
Recommend product or component design improvements, based on test data or observations.
+Review last quarter's failure logs and the breakage patterns from the sobriety cup tests, then recommend three specific product or component design changes with justification, expected effect on failure rate, and a cost-impact estimate by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelA&D Technology iTestO*NET
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Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures.
+Build or modify the prototype fixture used for the breath-sample rig so it clamps the donor cup 30 percent…
Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures.
+Build or modify the prototype fixture used for the breath-sample rig so it clamps the donor cup 30 percent tighter, fits the new sensor block, and avoids interference with the tubing—produce working drawings and a parts list ready for shop fabrication by Friday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk InventorO*NET
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Collaborate with engineers to improve vehicle designs
+Set up a one-hour hands-on review with David the vehicle systems engineer to walk through our latest…
Collaborate with engineers to improve vehicle designs
+Set up a one-hour hands-on review with David the vehicle systems engineer to walk through our latest side-impact test anomalies, bring annotated test footage, strain-gauge traces, and a prioritized list of three vehicle design tweaks with expected safety impacts.
The tools that do the workNational Instruments LabVIEWjob descriptions
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Make recommendations for changes
+Draft a clear recommendation memo for procurement and engineering that lists the change, why it matters to…
Make recommendations for changes
+Draft a clear recommendation memo for procurement and engineering that lists the change, why it matters to the pass rate, the testing evidence, required drawings, and the implementation risk and timeline—get it to Mike in engineering by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelESCO
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Material mechanics
+Run comparative tensile and hardness analyses on the current sample set, summarize how the material behaved…
Material mechanics
+Run comparative tensile and hardness analyses on the current sample set, summarize how the material behaved under peak loads versus spec, and write a short briefing with clear pass/fail conclusions and next-material options for the materials team by Monday.
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Read standard blueprints
+Go through the set of production blueprints for the donor cup assembly, call out any dimension or tolerance…
Read standard blueprints
+Go through the set of production blueprints for the donor cup assembly, call out any dimension or tolerance conflicts with the fixture, mark the drawings with redline notes, and send the annotated prints to the drafting team and assembly lead before shift end.
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Multimedia systems
+Test and document the multimedia system rack in Lab 2B: verify signal paths, confirm each camera and recorder…
Multimedia systems
+Test and document the multimedia system rack in Lab 2B: verify signal paths, confirm each camera and recorder powers up, note any intermittent audio/video faults with timecodes, replace the faulty cable, then file the evidence log and notify Facilities by Friday afternoon.
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ICT software specifications
+Draft ICT software specifications for the new screening workstation: list required input/output ports,…
ICT software specifications
+Draft ICT software specifications for the new screening workstation: list required input/output ports, supported data formats, minimum logging retention of three years, authentication levels for operators and supervisors, and acceptance test steps, then circulate to IT and Quality by Wednesday.
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Recommend product improvements
+Compile a short improvement report for the point-of-collection kit: describe three recurring failures,…
Recommend product improvements
+Compile a short improvement report for the point-of-collection kit: describe three recurring failures, propose two material or connector upgrades, estimate parts cost and downtime reduction, and attach photos from last week's incidents before sending to Procurement and Engineering.
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Mechanics of motor vehicles
+Inspect the donor transport van after yesterday's sample transfer: check engine mounts, brake response,…
Mechanics of motor vehicles
+Inspect the donor transport van after yesterday's sample transfer: check engine mounts, brake response, securement points for coolers, record measurements against the vehicle blueprint, note any deviations, and produce the maintenance request to Fleet by close of business today.
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Use a computer
+Run the lab workstation, log today’s batch results into the spread with specimen IDs, flag any out-of-range…
Use a computer
+Run the lab workstation, log today’s batch results into the spread with specimen IDs, flag any out-of-range values, attach instrument run files, and print the signed summary for the bench supervisor by 4pm.
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Liaise with engineers
+Set up a short meeting with Tom in mechanical and Sara in materials to review the failing sample: share the…
Liaise with engineers
+Set up a short meeting with Tom in mechanical and Sara in materials to review the failing sample: share the test data, outline the anomaly timeline, ask which tolerances could cause the drift, and agree who runs the root-cause check by Wednesday.
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Read engineering drawings
+Review the new assembly drawing, confirm critical dimensions and callouts against the test fixture, note any…
Read engineering drawings
+Review the new assembly drawing, confirm critical dimensions and callouts against the test fixture, note any tolerance conflicts or missing surface treatments, annotate the drawing with page references, and send the marked PDF to design and quality for action.
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CAE software
+Run the finite-element setup on the component using the lab material file, verify boundary conditions match…
CAE software
+Run the finite-element setup on the component using the lab material file, verify boundary conditions match the test rig loads, export stress plots and a short report, then drop both into the project folder for Tom to review tomorrow morning.
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Engineering principles
+Draft a one-page note summarising which mechanical principles explain the fatigue seen in this batch, cite…
Engineering principles
+Draft a one-page note summarising which mechanical principles explain the fatigue seen in this batch, cite the relevant load cycles and material behaviour, and circulate it to production and reliability before the shift handover.
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Vehicle manufacturing process
+Walk the assembly line tonight, compare the documented process steps with what operators actually do at…
Vehicle manufacturing process
+Walk the assembly line tonight, compare the documented process steps with what operators actually do at stations 3 and 7, photograph deviations, log cycle times, and prepare a short corrective action note for manufacturing by Monday morning.
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Says who?
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Activities this job lives in
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Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses