Mechanical Engineering Technician

The world of mechanical engineering is vast. Its products are seen everywhere—in every room of the house, each store in the mall, and driving down every street. As a Mechanical Engineering Technician, you’re an important part of that world. You help Mechanical Engineers design, test, maintain, and repair mechanical systems on anything from the dishwasher in the kitchen to the airplane that transports people all over the world.

Mechanical Engineering Technicians are all about moving parts, or mechanics. Sometimes, as a Mechanical Engineering Technician, you’ll work to design new and improved versions of existing products. Take a power drill, for instance. Your design could be the first one that lets users replace the bit with a touch of a button.

Depending on your interests, you could also maintain, repair, or redesign windmills, engines, elevators, toys, or generators, to name just a few.

A fun aspect of this job is the opportunity to be involved in the creation of new products. Robotics is a field of mechanical engineering that was unheard of a few decades ago. Now, we have robots vacuuming our floor while we’re at work. Who knows what new designs will emerge over the next twenty years?

There’s a lot to consider when working with mechanical parts. It’s not quite as easy as playing with an Erector Set all day. Scientific and mathematical factors such as speed, friction, strain on parts, pressure, heat, and elevation all impact designs.

But you’ll learn all of that on the job. And if you like working as a Mechanical Engineering Technician, you can return to school for a few more years and use your experience to become a Mechanical Engineer.