Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment such as centralized heat, gas, water, and steam systems.
U.S. Workers
286,760
Median Salary
$102,320
10-Year Growth
+9.1%
Annual Openings
18,100
Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
28 of 28 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
AI: Fully automatable - By 2025 AI systems can reliably parse CAD files and engineering drawings and extract dimensions, tolerances, and functional intent, enabling full interpretation for many routine blueprint-reading tasks.
Develop or test models of alternate designs or processing methods to assess feasibility, sustainability, operating condition effects, potential new applications, or necessity of modification.
AI: Fully automatable - Generative design, automated simulation, and AI-driven feasibility and sustainability assessments can autonomously develop and test alternate models for many engineering problems by 2025.
Recommend the use of utility or energy services that minimize carbon footprints.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can analyze energy usage, grid/utility data and emissions models to recommend utility or service choices that minimize carbon footprints.
Assist drafters in developing the structural design of products, using drafting tools or computer-assisted drafting equipment or software.
AI: Fully automatable - AI-assisted CAD tools can now actively generate and refine structural layouts and drafting details, effectively assisting drafters across routine and many complex tasks.
Design test control apparatus or equipment or develop procedures for testing products.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can generate detailed test apparatus designs, CAD models, control logic and standardized testing procedures, though final validation and safety sign-off require human oversight.
Provide feedback to design engineers on customer problems or needs.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can synthesize customer feedback, identify patterns and propose actionable design adjustments, enabling it to fully provide useful feedback to design engineers.
Design integrated mechanical or alternative systems, such as mechanical cooling systems with natural ventilation systems, to improve energy efficiency.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can design integrated mechanical and alternative systems, run performance simulations and optimize configurations to improve energy efficiency at a conceptual and engineering level.
Research and analyze customer design proposals, specifications, manuals, or other data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, or maintenance requirements of designs or applications.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can analyze proposals, specifications and manuals and run feasibility, cost and maintenance models using available data to produce comprehensive evaluations, with humans needed only for edge-case judgment.
Apply engineering principles or practices to emerging fields, such as robotics, waste management, or biomedical engineering.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can apply engineering principles to emerging fields by generating analyses, designs and in-silico prototypes, though specialized human oversight is often required for regulation and hands-on integration.
Calculate energy losses for buildings, using equipment such as computers, combustion analyzers, or pressure gauges.
AI: Fully automatable - Calculating building energy losses is a quantitative, instrument-driven task that AI and software can fully perform given measurement inputs and models, producing accurate loss calculations and reports.
Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
AI: Partial - AI can perform research, generate and evaluate designs and operation plans, but cannot physically install, operate, or take final responsibility for maintenance and field tasks without human intervention.
Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
AI: Partial - AI can supply technical information, draft procedures, and participate in troubleshooting conversations, but human engineers are still required for accountable decision-making and complex interpersonal coordination.
Develop, coordinate, or monitor all aspects of production, including selection of manufacturing methods, fabrication, or operation of product designs.
AI: Partial - AI can optimize production methods, schedule and monitor processes via digital twins and analytics, yet full coordination and real-world oversight of all production aspects still require human supervisors.
Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
AI: Partial - AI-driven diagnostics can analyze sensor data and suggest likely failure modes and remedies, but complex root-cause investigations and hands‑on verification commonly need human expertise.
Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
AI: Partial - AI can recommend components and design changes to meet specs and regulations using databases and rules, but final specification and regulatory sign-off typically remain a human responsibility.
Recommend design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions.
AI: Partial - AI can analyze failure data and propose design changes to eliminate malfunctions, but complex trade-offs and validation of modifications require human engineering judgment.
Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, or repair to ensure that machines or equipment are installed and functioning according to specifications.
AI: Partial - AI can monitor installations, guide procedures, and flag deviations, but physical oversight, on-site coordination, and final acceptance testing still demand human presence and authority.
Conduct research that tests or analyzes the feasibility, design, operation, or performance of equipment, components, or systems.
AI: Partial - AI can perform literature reviews, simulations, and data analysis to test feasibility and performance but cannot independently carry out physical experiments or on-site measurements.
Evaluate mechanical designs or prototypes for energy performance or environmental impact.
AI: Partial - AI can evaluate designs with simulations and LCA tools to estimate energy and environmental impact but cannot fully assess prototype performance without physical test data.
Direct the installation, operation, maintenance, or repair of renewable energy equipment, such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) or water systems.
AI: Partial - AI can produce detailed installation, operation and maintenance plans and provide remote guidance, but cannot physically direct on-site work or assume responsibility for safety-critical decisions.
Estimate costs or submit bids for engineering, construction, or extraction projects.
AI: Partial - AI can generate cost estimates and preliminary bids from models and databases but often lacks up‑to‑date local pricing, contractual judgment, and final bidding authority.
Write performance requirements for product development or engineering projects.
AI: Partial - By 2025 AI can generate well-structured draft performance requirements and map them to standards, but human engineers and stakeholders are still needed to validate, negotiate, and sign off on final, safety-critical or context-specific requirements.
Perform personnel functions, such as supervision of production workers, technicians, technologists, or other engineers.
AI: Partial - AI can automate administrative supervision tasks (scheduling, performance tracking, guidance) and provide decision support, but cannot fully replace human leadership, complex personnel judgments, or on-the-ground team management.
Solicit new business.
AI: Partial - AI can automate lead generation, personalized outreach, proposal drafting, and qualification, but closing complex B2B deals and building long-term client relationships still require human sales skills and negotiation.
Provide technical customer service.
AI: Partial - AI can handle a large share of technical customer service through diagnostic flows, knowledge bases, and automated troubleshooting, but human experts remain necessary for complex, novel, or on-site issues and escalations.
Study industrial processes to maximize the efficiency of equipment applications, including equipment placement.
AI: Partial - AI can analyze process data, run simulations, and propose efficiency and placement improvements, but on-site validation, practical constraints, and multi-disciplinary trade-offs require human engineering judgment.
Establish or coordinate the maintenance or safety procedures, service schedule, or supply of materials required to maintain machines or equipment in the prescribed condition.
AI: Partial - AI can generate, optimize, and coordinate maintenance schedules, predictive maintenance algorithms, inventories, and draft safety procedures, yet final establishment, certification, and safety accountability need human oversight.
Select or install combined heat units, power units, cogeneration equipment, or trigeneration equipment that reduces energy use or pollution.
AI: Partial - AI can assist in selecting appropriate heat/power/cogeneration systems via modelling and vendor comparisons, but equipment selection and installation decisions require site-specific engineering, permitting, and field execution by humans.