Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates work in industry sectors including automotive, equipment and defense, aerospace, medical equipment and devices, renewable energy, industrial equipment, and consumer products. Mechanical Engineering is the broadest of all of the engineering disciplines. Any enterprise that produces a product has a need for the skills that Missouri State University Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates possess. Wherever your passion lies, it is likely that you can establish a Mechanical Engineering Technology career there. The best thing is that since this discipline is needed by so many different types of companies, it is relatively recession proof!
Typical job titles held by Mechanical Engineering Technology graduates include Design Engineer, Product Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Systems Integration Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, and others. As your career progresses, you may hold titles such as Project Engineer, Director of Engineering, and Senior Engineer, or move into corporate management as a Manager, Vice President, or President. There are two primary career paths for graduates of programs such as the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program at Missouri State University. About one third of Mechanical Engineering Technology degree holders follow the technical career path, and continuously update their engineering skill set over the course of their careers. Engineers tend to make good managers, though, and so about two thirds of Mechanical Engineering Technologists ultimately enter some type of management career path.
Whichever path you choose, you are very likely to be happy with your career choice. Mechanical Engineering was rated as one of the top jobs of 2019 by U.S. News and World Report, with a high potential for upward mobility, high pay, and above average flexibility.
In future posts, I’ll be writing about the salary you may expect with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Missouri State University, about the student support infrastructure that we have put in place, and about how you can prepare for an academic career in Mechanical Engineering Technology. In the meantime, if I can provide information that is useful to you, please contact me at MET@MissouriState.edu.
Kevin M. Hubbard, Ph.D., CMfgE
Coordinator: Mechanical Engineering Technology
Missouri State University