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What is a mechanical development engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Marco Schoen Ph.D.

A mechanical development engineer is in charge of designing, evaluating, installing, and maintaining mechanically functioning equipment. They conduct research and analysis that evaluates the feasibility, design, and performance of equipment, components, and systems. They apply their technical knowledge and expertise to design all manner of products including, game consoles and medical devices.

Medical development engineers work in different industries, including manufacturing, production, and the automobile industry. They work closely with other engineers, product managers, marketing personnel, and executives to achieve company objectives. To succeed in their role, they should have engineering skills, technical skills, analytical skills, communication skills, research skills, and attention to detail.

A medical development engineer works 40 hours a week Monday to Friday from 9 to 5. They may work late hours and over the weekends in instances where they have urgent project deliverables.

What general advice would you give to a mechanical development engineer?

Marco Schoen Ph.D.Marco Schoen Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Measurement and Control Engineering Research Center (MCERC), Idaho State University

Stay current. Engineering evolves continuously; new tools, new technologies, and new areas where engineers can contribute, learn, and work. When graduating, students have the feeling they are set for their careers. However, this is not true; they might be set to start their careers. To be consistently successful in their pages, they need to stay informed and updated.
ScoreMechanical Development EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.2

Avg. Salary $91,933

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 15.82%

Black or African American 3.25%

Hispanic or Latino 8.65%

Unknown 4.56%

White 67.61%

Gender

female 10.72%

male 89.28%

Age - 39
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 - 39
Stress level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Mechanical development engineer career paths

Key steps to become a mechanical development engineer

  1. Explore mechanical development engineer education requirements

    Most common mechanical development engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    73.8 %

    Master's

    18.2 %

    Associate

    6.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific mechanical development engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    CAD10.72%
    Solidworks9.42%
    FEA5.49%
    Product Design5.08%
    R4.32%
  3. Complete relevant mechanical development engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mechanical development engineers 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 a mechanical development engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mechanical development engineer resumes.
  4. Research mechanical development engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Develop and manage the first BOM and release management process for communicating and tracking build changes/status with global factories.
    • Manage design control including FMEA risk analysis, surgeon clinical input documentation, design verification and validation activities.
    • Verify designs and concepts by testing finish product and system capabilities using computer base FEA , 3D printing/component prototyping.
    • Specialize in product development services utilizing SolidWorks.
  5. Prepare your mechanical development engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mechanical development engineer 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 a mechanical development engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable mechanical development engineer resume templates

    Build a professional mechanical development engineer 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 mechanical development engineer resume.
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
    Mechanical Development Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for mechanical development engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a mechanical development engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first mechanical development engineer job

Zippi

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Average mechanical development engineer salary

The average mechanical development engineer salary in the United States is $91,933 per year or $44 per hour. Mechanical development engineer salaries range between $69,000 and $121,000 per year.

Average mechanical development engineer salary
$91,933 Yearly
$44.20 hourly

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How do mechanical development engineers rate their job?

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Mechanical development engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
Pros

Investigation. I love to dig and dig to find hidden gems of information that can be pivtol to the project.

Cons

There is tons of reading involved, not everything is interesting so it can be a bit much to read and analyze what seems like endless information. But I still love it.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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