Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between engineering technicians and mechanical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an engineering technician, becoming a mechanical engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a mechanical engineer has an average salary of $75,352, which is higher than the $60,273 average annual salary of an engineering technician.
The top three skills for an engineering technician include technical support, data collection and test equipment. The most important skills for a mechanical engineer are CAD, solidworks, and mechanical systems.
| Engineering Technician | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,273 | $75,352 |
| Hourly rate | $28.98 | $36.23 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 111,343 | 105,618 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
An Engineering Technician's duties vary according to the industry or company, whether mechanical, industrial, civil, agricultural, or more. However, most of the time, the responsibilities often revolve around resolving technical issues, working with and assisting Engineers in building, assembling, designing, gathering and testing data, and conducting more manual activities. Furthermore, Engineering Technicians can specialize and work in various fields after a certain training period, closely mentored or monitored by an engineer or someone with extensive expertise.
Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues. They are often in designated offices, but they can also work on-site and travel if necessary. Furthermore, Mechanical Engineers usually function in a group or team setting, often supervised by personnel in higher positions.
Engineering technicians and mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Technician | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $60,273 | $75,352 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $96,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between an engineering technician and a mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Technician | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between engineering technicians' and mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Engineering Technician | Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |