How To Become An Engineering Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is an engineering assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Michael Rudisill,

Robert Taylor

If you're interested in supporting a team of engineers in a fast-paced environment, becoming an engineering assistant may help you make your way up the career ladder. Engineering assistants are professionals that work under a senior engineer and perform duties under their guidance. Their core duty is to provide support services within an engineering department or firm.

An engineering assistant's duties vary depending on the industry they work in. At some companies, they support engineers by performing clerical or administrative tasks, while at others, they perform sub-engineering or general engineering work. Generally, they collaborate with senior engineers in designing procedures and planning and executing engineering projects.

Becoming an assistant engineer typically requires an associate's degree in an engineering discipline. However, earning a bachelor's degree in engineering or a relevant field may provide better job opportunities. To be successful as an assistant engineer, one must possess an aptitude for technology, troubleshooting skills, and the ability to provide solutions to engineering problems. Engineering assistants may work in industries such as civil, aerospace, environmental, or manufacturing facilities. They may work independently or under close supervision within an engineering domain. Working as a part of the engineering team, they earn an average annual salary of $61,000.

What general advice would you give to an engineering assistant?

Michael Rudisill

Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University

Patience will be a key - there will be many jobs available - we have been contacted by several employers looking for grads. Still, it certainly is not like we have seen historically. As the economy comes out of the COVID recession, engineering jobs will come back very quickly. By the spring graduation, I think we will be pretty close to back to a somewhat familiar employment picture.

ScoreEngineering AssistantUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $64,402

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.68%

Asian 11.22%

Black or African American 8.95%

Hispanic or Latino 15.71%

Unknown 4.83%

White 58.61%

Gender

female 31.20%

male 68.80%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an engineering assistant

Explore engineering assistant education requirements

Most common engineering assistant degrees

Bachelor's

56.4 %

Associate

22.5 %

High School Diploma

9.1 %

Start to develop specific engineering assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Troubleshoot	13.58%
C++	12.61%
Worksheets	10.90%
Java	10.73%
Debugging	6.56%

Complete relevant engineering assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New engineering assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an engineering assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real engineering assistant resumes.

Research engineering assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage the RFI process to clarify discrepancies and questions concerning the plans and specifications.
Create, manage and maintain the ECR process to ensure accurate and timely processing.
Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
Assist in the maintenance of files for engineering drawings, ECO's, manufacturing specs, and BOM's.

Prepare your engineering assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your engineering assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an engineering assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable engineering assistant resume templates

Build a professional engineering assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your engineering assistant resume.