Skills required for the mechanical engineering

• The mechanical engineer’s work is mostly related to design and he develops machines as per the clients specifications  and they must possess the required skills in all aspects to complete the work assigned in a proper way and ensure that it is completed within the deadline.
• Possess high level problem-solving skills.
• The mechanical engineer must be good at mathematics and other science related subjects.
• Possess good people skills to confer with the clients and other staff in the company for successful completion of the project.
• The mechanical engineer must be capable to segregate the work, prioritize them and integrate all the components.
• The mechanical engineers must work in pressure situations to complete the project and meet the deadlines.
• They must be computer literate and capable to work on various designing software’s like computer aided design and AutoCAD.
• They need to have good managerial skills to manage one’s own work and make the others work efficiently as well to meet the company goals.
• Posses good technical skills and have good knowledge on various technical standards used in designing and developing machines.
• Have brief idea bout several mathematical concepts like fractions, ratios, solid geometry, plane geometry, statistical interference and probability.
• They need to have good interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Have complete idea about the company standard and policies.
• Possess good instructional skills to train and teach the employees coming in to the organization about the work and company rules.

Duties and responsibilities of a mechanical engineer

The following are the list of roles and responsibilities that are to be performed by the mechanical engineer when employed by aerospace industry and automobile industry etc.

• They need to estimate the budget required for the completion of the project after gathering specifications from the client.
• They need to maintain the information related to the project in the database and update it on regular basis and share it with the senior staff in the company to let them know about the project’s progress.
• They need to gather technical knowledge and share it with junior staff by conducting meeting and giving presentations on the gathered information.
• They need to review the publications and attend workshops.
• They are responsible to integrate all the components assigned to various professional in the company before delivering the machine to the client.
• After completing with development of the machine, it is responsibility of the mechanical engineer to test the machine and identifies defects.
• On identifying defects, they fix the problems or make necessary modifications to the structure of the machinery.
• They need to ensure all the parts used for developing machine meet the quality standards.
• They need to train the newly recruited engineer and help them to get to know the company policies and rules.
• Study and analyze the blueprints to gather the technical information related to the project.
• They need to respond properly to the queries of the customers regarding the installation and maintenance of the developed machine.
• They need to collaborate with the manufacturing departments, sales department to solve the complex problems and resolve the disputes among the team members.

What certifications does a mechanical engineer need?

• The mechanical engineer needs to acquire a license from Professional Engineers Association to get registered and practice engineering.

• Certified Solid Works Professional (CSWP-CORE): This certification course helps the individual in learning the way to use the solid works software and make good designs to satisfy the customer.

• Project Management Certificate: Initially the candidate must take this certification course before moving in to the project to know about various phases of project management and techniques to handle the project and complete it within the estimated time.

• Certified Professional Engineer (PE): It is one of the best courses offered by the Project Management Institute to the fresh graduates and helps them in learning the technical standards related to the engineering field.

• Certified Six Sigma Black Belt: This certification course aids the candidates in learning all the concepts related to business management to promote the development of machinery.

Educational requirements for a mechanical engineer

• The candidate planning to build up career in engineering field needs to be well qualified by maintaining good academics.
• The candidate needs to complete 4 years bachelor’s degree with specialization in subjects related to the mechanical engineering.
• It is not mandatory for a candidate to complete his master’s degree but the person holding master degree certificate will have higher preference.
• The college must be recognized by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
• The candidate can even take associate degree with mechanical engineering as main stream.
• They need at least 2-3 years of practical experience in mechanical engineering field.
• The mechanical engineer must have idea about the software’s like AutoCAD, visio and slid works etc to make correct designs.
• There are numerous industries that offer internship programs to the fresh graduates as mechanical engineering is one of the best fields related to science department.
• On completing the internship program, they can use the experience to be recruited by a multinational company.

Salary and remuneration of a mechanical engineer

The salary of the mechanical engineer is mainly dependent on the industry for which they work and the experience, industry type, employer type and geographical location are several other factors that alter the salary of the mechanical engineers.

The average salary of the mechanical engineer is $ 75,000 per annum.

• Years of experience:
  • The salary of the mechanical engineer varies with the experience of the candidate in the respective field.
  • The salary range for the mechanical engineer with less than one year of practical experience is in between $ 38,134 and $ 65,231 per annum and the hourly rate paid for the mechanical engineer is between $ 9.12 and $ 39.11.
  • The salary range for the mechanical engineer with experience of one to four years can earn salary in the range between $ 42,132 and $ 73,114 per annum and the hourly rate paid for the individual is between $ 13.72 and $ 42.29.
  • The salary range for the mechanical engineer with five to nine years of practical experience can earn salary in the range between $ 51,312 and $ 89,214 per annum and the hourly rate paid for the mechanical engineer is between $ 17.13 and $ 44.62.
  • The salary range for the mechanical engineer with ten to nineteen years of practical experience can make salary in the range between $ 57,212 and $ 104,123 per annum and the salary paid on hourly basis for the mechanical engineer is between $ 17.13 and $ 46.11.
  • The salary range for the mechanical engineer with real time experience of twenty years or more earn salary range in between $ 62,153 and $ 126,117 per annum and the salary paid on hourly basis for the individual is between $ 23.22 and $ 56.27.
• Industry type:
  • The salary of the mechanical engineers alters with industry type in which he works because usually mechanical engineers are placed in different types of industries that include engineering consulting, aerospace and automotive supplies etc.
  • The mechanical engineer working for the engineering consulting can earn salary in the range between $ 45,907 and $ 80,846 per annum.
  • The mechanical engineer working for industry that manufactures and distributes heavy vehicles, automobiles etc can make salary in the range between $ 56,900 and $ 72,700 per annum.
  • The mechanical engineers working for a industry that develop machines like nuclear reactors to produce energy make salary in the range between $ 49,890 and $ 89,784 per annum.
  • The mechanical engineer working in a aerospace industry to design and develop the parts related to air craft and fighter planes can earn salary in the range between $ 49,700 and $ 105,466 per annum.
  • The salary range of the mechanical engineers working for industry that supplies automotive parts to other companies can earn salary in the range between $ 57,900 and $ 90,000 per annum.
  • The salary range of the mechanical engineer working for the industry that design and develop machines to generate wind energy is in between $ 62,800 and $ 94,812 per annum.

• Skill/ specialty:

• The salary of the mechanical engineer varies according to the specialization that they possess. They specialize in areas like solids work, AutoCAD,  and engineering design etc
• The salary range of the mechanical engineer on getting specialized in project management can earn in between $ 47,110 and $ 78,282 per annum.
• The salary range of the mechanical engineer when he knows about the making designs with AutoCAD software can make in between $ 44,130 and $ 69,722 per annum.
• The salary range of the mechanical engineer when gets specialized in using Microsoft application package can make in between $ 59,212 and $ 95,312 per annum.
• The salary range of the mechanical engineer when gets specialized in using mat lab software can make salary in between $ 43,813 and $ 91,122 per annum.
• Geographical location:
  • The geographical location is one of the main factors that alter the salary of the mechanical engineer.
  • Usually companies in top cities pay more in comparison to companies in rural areas.
  • The salary of the mechanical engineer employed by a company fixed in the New York state is in between $ 62,023 and $ 92,012 per annum.
  • The salary of the mechanical engineer employed by a company fixed in the California state is in between $ 57,232 and $ 91,012 per annum.
  • The salary of the mechanical engineer employed by a company fixed in the Ohio state is in between $ 59,010 and $ 97,100 per annum.
  • The salary of the mechanical engineer employed by a company fixed in the Michigan state is in between $ 65,120 and $ 98,900 per annum.

About mechanical engineering:

Mechanical engineers are the professionals who work for industry that develops machines which transmit or use power to start. They develop several methods to convert energy emitted by natural resources to generate power. Mechanical engineer is probably in involved in designing, testing, and building the machines and vehicles. The mechanical engineers build some machinery that helps in carrying out day-to-day activities like elevators, air conditioners and electric saw etc. They install the machines and explain the working process of the machines to customers on its purchase.

They develop machines from delicate instrument to heavy bulldozers. The mechanical engineers apply several engineering principles to make the machines that generate power like nuclear reactors and car engines. They gather the specifications from the clients before designing the vehicles or machines and they make use of engineering principles to develop the machines as per the client’s requirements. They work along with other departments of the company and assist the senior staff in developing and completing the project within the deadline fixed by the client. The mechanical engineer needs to be involved in every aspect of the project from starting to the end of the project and calculate the amount of raw materials required to develop the machine. They even keep track of the fabrication of the material, quality checking and resistance testing etc.

The mechanical engineer even monitor and manage the sales of the machines  and assist the technical staff by assisting them in detecting the technical problem and providing them correct reason for the problem. They gather the feedback from the stakeholders and submit the report to the design engineer to make necessary modification to the machines or vehicle. They continuously perform research to identify the latest techniques in designing and developing machines.