AI Career Radar

Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Apply theory and principles of mechanical engineering to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment under direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.

AI exposure37 / 100Moderate exposure

Based on O*NET work context for this occupation. This score does not predict individual job losses.

What drives the score

Automation and repetition raise exposure; freedom to set tasks lowers it. Each measure uses a 0–100 scale.

Degree of automation29
Freedom to set tasks72
Repeating the same tasks57
$74,510Median annual wage, U.S.BLS OEWS
+1.3%Jobs, 2025 to 2035 (below average)BLS Employment Projections
67Skill durability (moderate)Transferability, out of 100

How well your skills transfer

Each skill is scored on how well it transfers into occupations that are growing and less exposed. The ones high on both importance and transfer are worth deepening.

Highest transferability first

Both scores out of 100

Skills ranked by transferability. Both scores use a 0–100 scale.
SkillTransferabilityImportance in current role
Active Listening
63
69
Critical Thinking
63
69
Speaking
63
66
Judgment and Decision Making
63
60
Monitoring
63
53
Complex Problem Solving
62
66
Active Learning
62
53
Coordination
62
50
Reading Comprehension
61
69
Time Management
61
53
Show 25 more skills
Skills ranked by transferability. Both scores use a 0–100 scale.
SkillTransferabilityImportance in current role
Writing
60
63
Social Perceptiveness
60
50
Learning Strategies
58
44
Instructing
58
44
Systems Analysis
57
56
Systems Evaluation
56
53
Service Orientation
56
47
Persuasion
54
50
Mathematics
53
56
Science
52
50
Negotiation
52
44
Management of Personnel Resources
50
41
Operations Analysis
49
41
Installation
48
9
Quality Control Analysis
47
56
Troubleshooting
47
47
Equipment Selection
47
44
Equipment Maintenance
47
41
Technology Design
47
35
Management of Material Resources
47
25
Management of Financial Resources
47
22
Operations Monitoring
46
63
Repairing
46
41
Programming
45
25
Operation and Control
43
50

Compare how well you can use each skill in growing, low-exposure occupations with its importance in your current role. How we score skills.

Jobs you could move to

Compare related occupations by skill overlap, retraining effort, pay and projected growth. Choose a priority to adjust the ranking. Licensing requirements may limit some routes.

92/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$132,300
10-yr growth
+41%
Skill gap
16%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Active Learning, Monitoring

89/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$129,180
10-yr growth
+21%
Skill gap
4%
Retraining
Low

Skills to build: Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Systems Analysis, Critical Thinking

89/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$135,880
10-yr growth
+21.1%
Skill gap
5%
Retraining
Low

Skills to build: Monitoring, Active Learning, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension

84/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$135,880
10-yr growth
+21.1%
Skill gap
14%
Retraining
Low

Skills to build: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Active Learning, Monitoring

83/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$116,580
10-yr growth
+5.1%
Skill gap
2%
Retraining
Low

Skills to build: Active Learning, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making

A second source of income, before you need it

This page can tell you where Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians could go and what the move costs. The other route is not a move at all: something small of your own, running alongside the job, started while there is no pressure on it.

Where to learn the missing half: Google Career Certificates for systems analysis · active learning, LinkedIn Learning for writing · speaking, edX for mathematics · reading and PlanetNoCode for complex problem solving. Some of those are affiliate links. It never changes what we list.

Snapshot: O*NET 31.0, BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035. Scoring v2.1.0-onet-31.0. Method on the how it works page.