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What is a mechanical engineering director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Steven Fernandez
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a mechanical engineering director. For example, did you know that they make an average of $62.7 an hour? That's $130,415 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 4,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What's a day at work look like for a mechanical engineering director?

Steven FernandezSteven Fernandez LinkedIn profile

Professor, California State University - Sacramento

This is a very general question, and I am not sure what you are really looking for. As I have mentioned there are so many situations, I can't really speak to a global general question such as this.
ScoreMechanical Engineering DirectorUS Average
Salary
8.4

Avg. Salary $130,415

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 14.48%

Black or African American 3.06%

Hispanic or Latino 8.71%

Unknown 4.65%

White 68.93%

Gender

female 8.70%

male 91.30%

Age - 48
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 - 48
Stress level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Mechanical engineering director career paths

Key steps to become a mechanical engineering director

  1. Explore mechanical engineering director education requirements

    Most common mechanical engineering director degrees

    Bachelor's

    78.0 %

    Master's

    12.6 %

    Associate

    4.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific mechanical engineering director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Mechanical Engineering26.76%
    Solidworks11.60%
    FEA9.86%
    CAD7.14%
    Fire Protection5.54%
  3. Complete relevant mechanical engineering director training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mechanical engineering directors 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 engineering director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mechanical engineering director resumes.
  4. Research mechanical engineering director duties and responsibilities

    • Manage QA for research orient development efforts and for high visibility, production focuse development efforts tie to revenue generation.
    • Spearhead the design of HVAC systems and project management for new medical facilities.
    • Determine the current and future enterprise infrastructure which oversee the design and implementation of information systems that support the business requirements.
    • Manage design, tooling, equipment implementations and process improvements for foundry/machining metalworking manufacturer of automotive OEM products.
  5. Get mechanical engineering director experience

    Generally, it takes more than 10 years to become a mechanical engineering director. The most common roles before becoming a mechanical engineering director include mechanical engineer, senior mechanical engineer team lead and mechanical engineering manager.
  6. Prepare your mechanical engineering director resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mechanical engineering director 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 engineering director 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 engineering director resume templates

    Build a professional mechanical engineering director 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 engineering director resume.
    Mechanical Engineering Director Resume
    Mechanical Engineering Director Resume
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    Mechanical Engineering Director Resume
    Mechanical Engineering Director Resume
    Mechanical Engineering Director Resume
    Mechanical Engineering Director Resume
    Mechanical Engineering Director Resume
    Mechanical Engineering Director Resume
  7. Apply for mechanical engineering director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a mechanical engineering director 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 engineering director job

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Average mechanical engineering director salary

The average mechanical engineering director salary in the United States is $130,415 per year or $63 per hour. Mechanical engineering director salaries range between $70,000 and $240,000 per year.

Average mechanical engineering director salary
$130,415 Yearly
$62.70 hourly

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Mechanical engineering director reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Being able to solve technical problems and manage staff for work


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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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