Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-3027
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 17-3027 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 6.8%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $74,510
- H-1B offered wage $65,458; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 4,300
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change 0.0%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 45
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 5,545 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).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~37.9% of this role but only ~6.8% 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
Apply theory and principles of mechanical engineering to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment under direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.
Common titles: Engineering Laboratory Technician (Engineering Lab Technician), Engineering Technical Analyst, Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech), Engineering Technologist, Manufacturing Engineering Technician (Manufacturing Engineering Tech), Mechanical Designer
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Assemble equipment or components.
- •Explain engineering drawings, specifications, or other technical information.
- •Test products for functionality or quality.
- •Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
- •Review technical documents to plan work.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
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 | 6.8% | 4.5% |
| Outlook | Average | 15% Bright |
| Median Salary | $74,510 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 93/100 | N/A |