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Mechanical Engineer Job Description

Stephen Rampur
The mechanical engineer's job involves handling and dealing with all aspects of complicated machinery.
Out of the many technically challenging career opportunities, the job of a mechanical engineer is one of the most prominent. This is an expert who is proficient in designing and handling the functions of advanced machinery.
He is also referred to as a production or equipment engineer. To become one, you basically need to be good at subjects like math and science in school, and then do an advanced degree in the relevant field.
The basic requirement for entering this sector is a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering which typically takes 4 years of study. As technology is implemented in most industries, the services of such professionals are certainly required. In general, this job includes all tasks that relate to working with advanced machines which produce or run on power.

Duties and Responsibilities

A mechanical engineer may work in a wide range of industries, particularly manufacturing and production. He handles the functionality and developments of machines like air conditioners, machine tools, car engines, refrigerators, escalators, and other advanced devices.
He may work on nearly any type of device or system which has mechanical or electronic aspects. He may also participate in the development and design of such devices.
His responsibilities include development of blueprints, technical graphs, concept reports, and other documents of the machines to be manufactured. He may use computer-aided design (CAD) software to make drafts and fundamental concepts of the products to be worked on.
He has to develop functional and practical theories of products and carry out the testing. Any product issues with the production department or suppliers need to be resolved by him. He may even suggest some modifications to the products to get rid of system malfunctions.
If the need be, he also reinvents the current product line of the company. He also makes sure that the machine is set to its optimal standards of customer satisfaction. And if experienced, he/she trains, supervises the other fresher technicians and production workers and acts as their mentor too!
The specializations in this field include environmental systems, automotive components, production automation, fluid mechanics, thermal engineering, robotics, bio-engineering, etc. Certain tasks vary based on the specialization and the field or industry he/she works in.

Salary Range

Being in a technical field, mechanical engineers are highly paid. Freshers and entry level professionals can expect an annual pay ranging from USD 48,700 to USD 84,500. Those with 5 to 9 years of experience can expect between USD 62,700 and USD 122,100 and those with an experience of 10 to 19 years or more can expect between USD 62,700 and USD 122,100.
California pays on an average of about USD 104,030 annually. In Michigan and Texas, the average pay is around USD 90,800 and USD 106,000 per year respectively. The salary range provided here are estimated figures and may differ from employer to employer, and most importantly, according to the economic conditions.