Mechanical Engineers
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-2141
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 17-2141 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 8.1%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 54/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $104,110
- H-1B offered wage $104,133; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 22,900
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +9.1%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 10,270
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 37,537 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
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AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~53.1% of this role but only ~8.1% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Application Engineer, Design Engineer, Equipment Engineer, Mechanical Design Engineer, Mechanical Designer, Mechanical Engineer
Representative Tasks
- •Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
- •Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
- •Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
- •Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
- •Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Review technical documents to plan work.
- •Design industrial processing systems.
- •Design industrial equipment.
- •Evaluate characteristics of equipment or systems.
- •Implement design or process improvements.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 8.1% | 4.5% |
| Outlook | Average | 15% Bright |
| Median Salary | $104,110 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 92/100 | N/A |