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SOC 17-3027
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians (O*NET 17-3027.00) are responsible, under engineer direction, for assembling and testing mechanical systems, analyzing test data, designing tooling and fixtures, and recording results, and assist engineers with design and manufacturing.
Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((0+75+50)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.
The core of the work of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians is applying mechanical engineering theory and principles to machinery and equipment that must actually run: assembling and disassembling mechanical systems, building and operating test stands to drawings and specifications, measuring performance and strength, analyzing test data, designing tooling, fixtures, and special-purpose equipment, recording results, and assisting engineers with design and manufacturing. The work combines office analysis, test stands, and shop floor settings, and requires precision, traceability, and escalation within authorized boundaries.
The following judgments address the daily work of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians who test, modify, and develop mechanical equipment under the direction of engineers or physical scientists; they do not predict hiring, qualifications, authorization, or engineering sign-off responsibility.
Sample output and reflection: check whether the test purpose and specifications are verified first, whether the assembly and measurement sequence is explained, whether the basis for data recording and abnormality judgment is given, and whether the three kinds of problems of assembly, measurement, and conclusions are distinguished; then ask yourself whether you can test repeatedly per procedure and record faithfully, whether you can stop and escalate first when data are abnormal, and whether you are willing to work within engineering and safety boundaries.
This page covers O*NET 17-3027.00 "Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians": under the direction of engineers or physical scientists, applying mechanical engineering theory and principles to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment; common reported job titles include engineering test technician, engineering technical analyst, engineering technician, engineering technologist, manufacturing engineering technician, mechanical designer, mechanical technician, process technician, and research and development technician. The work combines indoor engineering analysis and test stands with shop floor settings. This page does not cover adjacent occupations such as mechanical engineers (17-2141.00), industrial engineering technologists (17-3026.00), and mechanical drafters (17-3013.00).
Career direction comparison
Compare core outputs, responsibility boundaries, and work modes, and do not exchange them by name.
| Career direction | Core work and output | Key differences | Best-fit choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical engineers | Difference from mechanical engineers: mechanical engineers take on design decisions, calculations, and final issuance; this occupation builds tests, collects data, improves equipment, and records conclusions under engineer direction, and engineering sign-off remains the engineer's responsibility. | Responsible for design decisions, calculations, and final issuance; this occupation is responsible for testing, verification, and implementation. | Compare by the division between design and execution. |
| Mechanical drafters | Difference from mechanical drafters: mechanical drafters turn concepts into manufacturable drawings with dimensions, tolerances, and fastening methods; this occupation works with physical objects and test stands and is responsible for assembly, measurement, failure analysis, and equipment adjustment. |
AI impact on this career
Editorial pilot suggestion: check the errors, permissions, and review costs of drafting test records, materials retrieval, and data comparison; the task materials do not prove that generative tools reliably handle test data, have been widely adopted, or affect jobs. AI Impact Score 42% is an editorial estimate. Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((0+75+50)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.The three tasks, ratings and sources are listed in the FermatMind method source record on this page.
FermatMind AI Impact Score estimation method v1
FermatMind / 费马测试 · 2026-10-18
Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Chinese mainland salary reference
Scope note: average annual wages of employed persons in manufacturing in 2025 from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, 113,594 yuan per year for urban non-private units and 76,055 yuan per year for urban private units; the national total for urban non-private units is 129,441 yuan per year. All are industry scopes and are not equal to the median or starting pay for this occupation.
Category boundaries: enterprise compensation survey information from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security is released by occupation and position category and can be used to look up pay for engineering technology and manufacturing related positions, but this page does not obtain an entry precisely corresponding to O*NET 17-3027.00 and does not use it as the national median for this occupation; the releases of the competent authorities prevail.
See official industry statistics
U.S. salary reference
United States 17-3027 in 2025: annual wages P10/P25/P50/P75/P90 are 48,400 / 59,510 / 74,510 / 88,110 / 106,050 USD; hourly 23.27 / 28.61 / 35.82 / 42.36 / 50.99 USD. Employment of 36,900 in 2025 and a projected 37,400 in 2035, growth of 1% and a net increase of 500, with 3,100 average annual openings including replacements. Percentiles are not seniority or take-home income.
| Percentile | Annual reference | Hourly reference | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low percentile | 48,400 USD per year | About 23.27 USD per hour | It is the 10th percentile statistical position. |
Fit signals
Task signal: able to build and run tests per specifications and to explain test conditions and limits.
Positive signals： Task signal: able to organize test data into traceable records and charts.
Caution conditions： Caution conditions: if it is hard to test repeatedly per procedure, or you lack patience for records and traceability, you may first compare adjacent engineering or on-site roles.
Trial action： Editorial observation suggestion: check the reviewability of raw readings, units, test conditions, and abnormality records, and observe whether uncertainty is proactively reported; paper exercises cannot prove physical assembly, safe operation, or long-term competence.
Risks and boundaries
Risks must be handled by trigger, consequence, control, and escalation boundary, and editorial synthesis does not replace engineering and safety standards.
Editorial risk analysis: O*NET tasks for this occupation support checking specifications, instruments, data, and engineering collaboration; the consequences and escalation are task control assumptions, not accident rates, statutory sign-off, or unified engineering standards.
Typical scenario：Starting tests without confirming test specifications, instrument status, or assembly conditions.
Roles most affected：Testing and verification positions
Entry paths
The United States BLS for this occupation usually requires postsecondary training such as an associate degree or a vocational technical school certificate, and some employers prefer a bachelor's degree or an accredited program; the general experience and training notes in JobZone3 are not a specific duration. Entry in China must be verified against the target position's corresponding education, training, and qualifications, and no unified national mapping has been established.
Market signals
Employment numbers, growth rate, net change, and annual openings must be explained separately and cannot be combined into a personal employment guarantee.
United States national · Presentation scope: Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3027.00)
36,900 people in 2025; a projected 37,400 in 2035, growth of 1% and a net increase of 500 from 2025 to 2035.
Employment size and change
Employment size, change, and job openings must be explained separately.
Does not establish：A United States national statistical projection that cannot serve as a personal employment guarantee.
Mainly an indoor controlled environment (about 77% daily), with uncontrolled environments as well (about 31% daily); about 50% use the telephone to communicate daily, about 43% are exposed to noise daily; about 60% report usually working more than 40 hours per week, and precision or high accuracy is rated extremely important (about 40%).
Mechanical engineers handle design decisions and sign-off; mechanical drafters handle drawing output and modeling; industrial engineering technologists focus on production systems and efficiency; mechanical engineering technologists and technicians handle assembly, testing, data recording, and equipment improvement under engineer direction.
Choose a real task from this page for a small practice project or a conversation with someone in the field. Use the planning guides to set a date, an output and feedback questions before deciding whether to continue.
This is a work sample check, not a personality diagnosis or hiring conclusion.
A fully fictional task package: given a fictional mechanical component test input (containing 1 test purpose and acceptance criteria, 1 set of fictional measurement data, and 1 abnormal reading to be judged), write within 60 minutes the assembly and testing steps, the data recording format, the basis for judging abnormalities, and the situations that must be submitted to an engineer for confirmation; do not use real clients, enterprise data, or unpublished drawings.
What to verify first: test purpose and acceptance criteria, engineering drawings and specifications, test stand and instrument status, assembly requirements of the components to be tested, the raw data recording method, and the engineering and safety judgments that need engineer confirmation.
Work loop: starting from reviewing project instructions and drawings, going through building or disassembling the test stand, running tests under the specified conditions and recording data, analyzing results against specifications, and modifying equipment and retesting, to forming conclusions and recommendations and handing them to engineers for confirmation; do not start testing before all test conditions and specifications are confirmed, and do not deliver conclusions before all abnormal data are recorded and escalated.
| Dimension | Primary track | Comparison track |
|---|---|---|
| Closed loop | Verify, test, analyze, and retest | |
| Step one | Review project instructions and drawings | |
| Step two | Confirm test specifications and procedures | |
| Step three | Build or disassemble the test stand and run it | |
| Step four | Record values and charts | |
| Step five | Analyze against specifications and retest | |
| Step six | Record conclusions and submit to engineers for confirmation |
Inputs: engineering drawings, specifications and project instructions, machinery and components awaiting testing, test stands and instruments, measurement data, tooling and fixture and die requirements, material and cost information, and the performance and acceptance criteria set by engineers.
Checkable outputs: assembly and disassembly records, test procedures and raw data (including values and charts), failure analysis records and corrective recommendations, part and assembly sketches, tooling and fixture and die designs, equipment inspection and reliability plans, and specifications and cost estimates submitted to engineers for confirmation.
Complete workflow: review project instructions and drawings, confirm test specifications, procedures, and targets, build or disassemble test stands and components, run tests under the specified conditions and record values and charts, analyze results against design specifications, modify or adjust equipment and retest, and record conclusions and recommendations and hand them to engineers for confirmation, in a closed loop.
Certification and employer appointment are still verified by the specific jurisdiction, institution, or employer; United States Job Zone 3 usually requires vocational school training, an associate degree, or related on-the-job experience, and certification is not equal to engineering sign-off authority.
The work objects of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians and the AI boundary Editorial pilot suggestion: evaluate drafting test records, retrieving specifications, and version comparison, and check raw data, units, and test conditions item by item; ordinary analysis software is not equal to generative AI adoption, and tools cannot replace physical setup, safety checks, or engineering conclusions.
| Responsible for drawing output and modeling; this occupation works with physical objects and test stands and is responsible for assembly, measurement, and equipment adjustment. |
| Compare by drawings versus physical objects. |
| Industrial engineers | Difference from industrial engineers: industrial engineers focus on production systems, processes, and efficiency; this occupation focuses on testing, improving, and process support for individual machines and components, with test data and equipment conclusions as outputs. | Focused on production systems and process efficiency; this occupation focuses on testing, improvement, and process support for individual machines and components. | Compare by systems versus equipment objects. |
|---|
| Mechatronics engineers | Difference from mechatronics engineers: mechatronics engineers focus on system integration of mechanical, electrical, and control elements; this occupation is mainly mechanical testing and process work and must collaborate within authorized boundaries when control and electrical matters are involved. | Focused on system integration of mechanical, electrical, and control elements; this occupation is mainly mechanical testing and process work. | Compare by the division between mechatronics and mechanical work. |
|---|
Adjacent occupations need tools, qualifications, and responsibility evidence supplied separately.
Next, use observable deliverables to verify the direction.
No specific generative tool testing for this occupation was obtained; organizing, retrieval, and drafting are editorial pilot hypotheses, not verified capabilities.
No organizational adoption rate, task effect, or job outcome for this occupation was obtained; verify permissions, raw data, and failure modes.
Task exposure is not equal to an adoption rate or a timeline for job cuts.
| Work area | Task | Current change | Human control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Testing and verification | Build the test stand and run the test | Editorial suggestion: evaluate test step descriptions and draft records; this does not mean generative AI can actually build test stands, calibrate instruments, or run tests. | Verify test conditions, specifications, and instrument status. |
| Data recording and failure analysis | Record data and analyze failures | Editorial suggestion: pilot organizing and retrieval and check raw data | Failure conclusions and corrective recommendations are confirmed by engineers. |
| Tooling and equipment design | Design tooling, fixtures, and special-purpose equipment | Editorial suggestion: pilot drafting design notes; generative CAD capability not verified | Confirmed by engineers according to responsibilities. |
| Engineering judgment and sign-off | Performance and safety conclusions | No automatic sign-off | Issued by engineers according to responsibilities. |
Evidence method: task capability, organizational adoption, and job outcomes are three different kinds of evidence and must be verified separately.
Direction differences: AI changes and remaining responsibilities differ across work directions.
AI primarily changesEditorial suggestion: pilot data organizing and retrieval
Human responsibility remainsTest conditions and engineering judgment
AI primarily changesEditorial suggestion: pilot draft records and comparison
Human responsibility remainsRaw data verification and conclusions
Responsibility process: from verifying inputs and limiting tasks to engineering review and recording escalation.
Confirm test purpose, specifications, and instrument status.
Assist only within known conditions and standards.
Engineers review test and failure conclusions.
Stop immediately on anomalies and report through the process.
Will produce wrong conclusions and mislead design.
Control: Verify specifications and instruments and retest.
Conclusions cannot be traced or verified.
Control: Record values and charts per format.
Will change engineering sign-off responsibility.
Control: Refer to engineers for confirmation along the authorization chain.
Practice with reviewable test and record samples.
Keep test data and failure analysis records.
Set test conditions and sign-off boundaries first.
The available materials only support task-level exposure judgments and cannot be used to derive a timeline for job cuts.
Source: Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025)Original source ↗
O*NET lists tasks for recording, analyzing, and confirming with collaborators; tool output must be checked against the physical object and test conditions and reviewed according to institutional responsibilities. The task list does not prove AI adoption or a statutory sign-off system.
Source: O*NET 17-3027.00 tasksOriginal source ↗
Three kinds of evidence must be distinguished: task exposure, organizational adoption, and job outcomes.
Source: O*NET 17-3027.00 detailed profile (skills and knowledge)Original source ↗
Usage boundaries: tool output must be traceable to the original inputs, test conditions, and the real object.
No data for this occupation was obtained
No data for this occupation was obtained
No national occupational wage for this occupation was obtained; this item is not starting pay, take-home income, or a personal quote.
| Position scope | Reference value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Vocational school training | Technician and test positions | United States JobZone general preparation classification, not a Chinese education threshold. |
| Associate degree (two-year) | Engineering technician positions | BLS for this occupation in the United States usually requires an associate degree or postsecondary training, not a Chinese requirement. |
| Related on-the-job experience | Testing and process support | Whether related experience substitutes for education depends on the specific employer; the JobZone group description does not prove general substitution. |
| Recognized apprenticeships | Testing and process | O*NET lists four recognized apprenticeship titles, and no specific program duration was obtained; the JobZone range of 1–2 years is not a uniform apprenticeship duration. |
Editorial employer settings; no Chinese industry share or demand for this occupation was obtained.
Editorial employer settings; no Chinese industry share or demand for this occupation was obtained.
Editorial employer settings; no Chinese industry share or demand for this occupation was obtained.
Insufficient evidence: no national occupational wage median for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in mainland China was obtained (2025 official public scope); this page only presents the manufacturing industry proxy and marks it as an industry scope, and does not fill the gap with proxy numbers or United States figures.
| Median | 74,510 USD per year | About 35.82 USD per hour | It is the median of the 2025 wage data. |
|---|
| High percentile | 106,050 USD per year | About 50.99 USD per hour | It is the 90th percentile statistical position. |
|---|
Wages · 10th percentile：48,400 USD per year；O*NET 17-3027.00 national wages (BLS 2025 wage data)
Wages · 25th percentile：59,510 USD per year；O*NET 17-3027.00 national wages (BLS 2025 wage data)
Wages · median：74,510 USD per year；O*NET 17-3027.00 national wages (BLS 2025 wage data)
Wages · 75th percentile：88,110 USD per year；O*NET 17-3027.00 national wages (BLS 2025 wage data)
Wages · 90th percentile：106,050 USD per year；O*NET 17-3027.00 national wages (BLS 2025 wage data)
No, percentiles are statistical positions.
It is the national scope for the exact occupation 17-3027.00.
2025 wages; 2025—2035 projections, and the general automation discussion is not treated as generative AI causality.
It cannot be stitched directly.
| Industry | 2025 median annual wage for this occupation by industry | How to interpret |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific research and development services | 86,860 USD per year | The BLS2025 median annual wage for this occupation by detailed industry; not the whole major industry value or a personal quote. |
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 77,320 USD per year | The BLS2025 median annual wage for this occupation by detailed industry; not the whole major industry value or a personal quote. |
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 75,340 USD per year | The BLS2025 median annual wage for this occupation by detailed industry; not the whole major industry value or a personal quote. |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 72,110 USD per year | The BLS2025 median annual wage for this occupation by detailed industry; not the whole major industry value or a personal quote. |
| Machinery manufacturing | 68,220 USD per year | The BLS2025 median annual wage for this occupation by detailed industry; not the whole major industry value or a personal quote. |
United States Job Zone 3; certification is not equal to engineering sign-off authority.
BLS for this occupation usually requires an associate degree or postsecondary technical training; substitution by experience depends on the employer.
Industry and regional differences are large and must not be extrapolated across regions.
BLS OOH mechanical engineering technicians: education, industry wages, and employment
BLS OOH mechanical engineering technicians: education, industry wages, and employment
BLS OOH mechanical engineering technicians: education, industry wages, and employment
First observe interests, pressure, and collaboration experience in real tasks.
Activity preferences can only help design trials and cannot judge qualification or performance.
Which observable behaviors do RIC interest codes correspond to?
The RIASEC interest code RIC describes activity preferences: preference for hands-on work with physical objects (Realistic), analysis and reasoning (Investigative), and handling data per procedure (Conventional).
Do not use it this way: Hiring, qualification, or performance cannot be derived from this.
Go to the career interest exercise and design observationsIn which tasks does attention to precision show?
Big Five is only for raising self-reflection questions; precision should be verified through raw data, units, and condition records, and detail-related personality labels are not validity for this occupation, engineering authorization, or hiring evidence.
Do not use it this way: Hiring, qualification, or performance cannot be derived from this.
Go to the career interest exercise and design observationsCan personality labels judge test fit?
RIASEC or personality frameworks can only help raise questions and cannot replace work samples, learning ability, qualifications, and actual performance evidence for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians.
Do not use it this way: Hiring, qualification, or performance cannot be derived from this.
Go to the career interest exercise and design observationsUse work samples to check, rather than replacing judgment with labels.
First verify real tasks, standards, and responsibility boundaries, then decide whether to continue.
Do not use it this way: Hiring, qualification, or performance cannot be derived from this.
Go to the career interest exercise and design observationsUse work samples to check, rather than replacing judgment with labels.
First verify real tasks, standards, and responsibility boundaries, then decide whether to continue.
Do not use it this way: Hiring, qualification, or performance cannot be derived from this.
Go to the career interest exercise and design observationsUse work samples to check, rather than replacing judgment with labels.
First verify real tasks, standards, and responsibility boundaries, then decide whether to continue.
Do not use it this way: Hiring, qualification, or performance cannot be derived from this.
Go to the career interest exercise and design observationsFits better when: Able to build and run tests per specifications.
Watch for: Test conditions and instruments must be verified.
Fits better when: Able to record values and charts per format.
Watch for: Traceability must be ensured.
Fits better when: Able to analyze failures against specifications and give recommendations.
Watch for: Conclusions must be confirmed by engineers.
Fits better when: Able to design and verify tooling, fixtures, and special-purpose equipment.
Watch for: Must be verified against processes and standards.
Fits better when: Able to assemble and disassemble mechanical systems per drawings.
Watch for: Safety and torque requirements must be followed.
Fits better when: Able to confirm intent and issues with engineers.
Watch for: Confirmation and sign-off responsibility must be clear.
Check with the work sample experience on this page.
Check with a fictional test task.
Check against format and traceability requirements.
Stop, record, and escalate first.
Check against the standards checklist.
Assess record-keeping and traceability awareness.
They are reviewed and approved by an engineering reviewer according to employer responsibilities; a unified issuance system is not presumed from the occupation catalog.
Complete one test and recording exercise using a fully fictional component test input.
How to reduce risk：Verify specifications and instruments and retest.
Evidence：O*NET 17-3027.00 tasks
Typical scenario：Test data not recorded completely in the required format or charts missing.
Roles most affected：Data recording and analysis positions
Possible consequence：Conclusions cannot be traced or verified.
How to reduce risk：Record values and charts per format and review them.
Evidence：O*NET 17-3027.00 tasks
Typical scenario：Not re-recording or not retesting after test conditions change.
Roles most affected：Testing and verification positions
Possible consequence：May make conclusions inconsistent with the physical object.
How to reduce risk：Record per the change process and retest.
Evidence：O*NET 17-3027.00 tasks
Typical scenario：Drawing conclusions on high-impact judgments outside the authorized scope.
Roles most affected：Engineering support positions
Possible consequence：May change engineering sign-off responsibility.
How to reduce risk：Refer to engineers for confirmation along the authorization chain.
Evidence：O*NET 17-3027.00 tasks
Typical scenario：Engineering intent, applicability of standards, or safety conditions are unclear.
Roles most affected：Testing and process positions
Possible consequence：May lead to wrong delivery or safety risks.
How to reduce risk：Stop the related work first and hand the matter to the engineering lead for confirmation.
Evidence：O*NET 17-3027.00 tasks
Typical scenario：Confusing this occupation with mechanical engineers, mechanical drafters, or industrial engineering technologists.
Roles most affected：Engineering and technical positions
Possible consequence：May cause mismatches in standards and responsibility.
How to reduce risk：Distinguish adjacent positions using the O*NET scope.
Evidence：O*NET 17-3027.00 summary (occupation identity and description)
Typical scope：Ability ladder: before entering mechanical engineering technology, verify the official occupation scope, real employer requirements, education or training, local qualifications, and supervised tasks, and do not infer directly from the conditions of adjacent occupations; advancement is based on reviewable tests and records, not guaranteed years.
Readiness evidence：No-experience work sample: one fully fictional component test input; within 60 minutes write the assembly and testing steps, the data recording format, the basis for judging abnormalities, and the situations that must be confirmed with an engineer, without using real client and enterprise data.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Seven-day trial: on the first two days understand the test purpose, specifications, and safety requirements, over the middle three days complete one fictional component test and recording exercise, on the sixth day ask someone else to challenge the test conditions and data, and on the seventh day write down the evidence for continuing, stopping, or changing direction.
Typical scope：Run tests and record data under supervision.
Readiness evidence：Keep supervised test data.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Transition path: before transitioning, list transferable abilities (assembly and testing, data recording, failure analysis, and tooling design) and the engineering, standards, and safety knowledge that must be filled in, and verify item by item against the qualifications and responsibilities of adjacent positions.
Typical scope：Independently complete testing, analysis, and retesting.
Readiness evidence：Show reviewable test data and conclusions.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend to complex systems and failure analysis.
Typical scope：Mentor and review others' tests within the authorized scope.
Readiness evidence：Show mentoring records and review results.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend to engineering sign-off support.
Typical scope：Record values, charts, and test conditions per format.
Readiness evidence：Keep traceable data records.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend to failure analysis and reporting.
Typical scope：Analyze failures against specifications and give corrective recommendations.
Readiness evidence：Show reviewable failure analysis records.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend to complex failures and statistical comparison.
Typical scope：Review others' analysis records within the authorized scope.
Readiness evidence：Show review and mentoring records.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend to test method improvement.
Typical scope：Learn the basics of tooling, fixtures, and special-purpose equipment.
Readiness evidence：Keep practice design and verification records.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend to tooling design and process.
Typical scope：Design and verify tooling, fixtures, and special-purpose equipment.
Readiness evidence：Show reviewable design and verification records.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend to equipment improvement and verification.
Typical scope：Support equipment improvement and test verification.
Readiness evidence：Show improvement plans and verification records.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend to engineering collaboration and sign-off support.
Confirm test purpose, specifications, and instrument status.
Test per procedure and record data completely.
Produce reviewable data and failure records.
Extend review and mentoring duties within the authorized scope.
United States national · Presentation scope: 17-3027.00
3,100 per year
Job openings (average annual)
Annual average over 2025—2035, including replacements, not net growth or current openings.
Does not establish：Cannot be used as an individual's probability of being hired.
United States national · Presentation scope: 17-3027.00
74,510 USD per year
Median annual wage
It is the median of the BLS 2025 wage data and does not represent starting pay or take-home income.
Does not establish：Percentiles are statistical positions; they do not cover individual take-home income.
These are capability relationships, not automatic promotions or credential waivers.
Transfers：The mechanical engineer direction can transfer test specification understanding, measurement data, and equipment problem analysis; this is an editorial task comparison, and technical support experience does not automatically grant design responsibility.
Build next：Moving to mechanical engineer requires filling in system design and calculation, engineering coursework, design reviews, and authorization in the target jurisdiction; the tool lists of other adjacent positions cannot be treated as the entire gap for that direction.
View career profileTransfers：Understanding mechanical drawings, tolerances, and version management.
Build next：Drawing output and modeling standards must be filled in.
View career profileTransfers：Process understanding, data, and improvement methods.
Build next：Production systems and efficiency analysis must be filled in.
View career profileTransfers：Mechanical assembly and control basics.
Build next：Electrical, control, and system integration must be filled in.
View career profileTransfers：Process understanding and test collaboration.
Build next：Manufacturing processes and production line design must be filled in.
View career profileTransfers：Mechanical testing and specification understanding.
Build next：Aviation standards and structural knowledge must be filled in.
View career profileLook at observable behavior: whether you can test repeatedly per procedure and record faithfully, whether you can organize test data into reviewable records, whether you stop and escalate first when data are abnormal, and whether you work within engineering and safety boundaries; the RIC interest code only describes activity preferences and cannot determine competence or qualification.
Organizing test data, retrieving specifications, and drafting records are more easily assisted by software; judging test conditions, failure analysis conclusions, and engineering sign-off remain mainly human, and the available materials do not prove that institutions generally replace test decisions with automation.
Test conditions and safety boundaries, judging failure causes, whether specifications are met, and engineering sign-off must be the responsibility of technicians and engineers according to their duties.
Average annual wages by manufacturing industry category in 2025 from the National Bureau of Statistics of China: 113,594 yuan per year for urban non-private units and 76,055 yuan per year for private units, with a national non-private total of 129,441 yuan per year; these are industry scopes, and no national occupational median for this occupation was obtained.
BLS 2025 wage data: median 74,510 USD per year (35.82 USD per hour), with the 10th percentile at 48,400, the 25th percentile at 59,510, the 75th percentile at 88,110, and the 90th percentile at 106,050 USD per year; percentiles are statistical positions and do not cover individual take-home income.
United States Job Zone 3: usually requires vocational school training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with about one to two years of training, and recognized apprenticeships may exist; in mainland China this is determined by the employer and the relevant occupational qualification requirements.
The main risks are wrong test conditions or specifications, incomplete data records, conditions changed without retesting, and judgments beyond authority; the responses are verifying specifications and instruments, recording data per format, retesting per the change process, and referring to engineers along the authorization chain.
BLS and O*NET employment of about 38,300 in 2024, projected to change very little from 2024 to 2034 (about 0%), with about 3,200 average annual job openings (including replacement demand); this is a statistical projection and is not equal to an individual's probability of being hired.
If you can complete one assembly, testing, and recording exercise using a fully fictional component test input, and can work to specifications and safety requirements and escalate when something is abnormal, it is worth further testing; the specific position requirements are governed by the employer and the competent authorities.
Evidence under Chinese, United States, and specific institutional scopes is stated separately: wages, employment, qualifications and credentials, standards, and AI conclusions must not be stitched across scopes; the United States statistics on this page use the 17-3027.00 scope and do not replace adjacent occupations. Mechanical engineering testing involves engineering and safety standards, and this page provides occupation judgment and research exercise information that does not replace local laws, employer requirements, engineering standards, or other professional advice. Any note of insufficient evidence only means that no safely corresponding data was established after a bounded search, and proxy or remembered fabricated numbers are not used.
FermatMind research workflow
O*NET 2026 occupation profile; consulted on 2026-09-25
O*NET 17-3027.00 summary (occupation identity and description)
Limitations：United States occupation scope; no exact equivalent mapping in mainland China is presumed.
Limitations：The task sample does not mean every position performs all tasks.
Limitations：United States work context does not replace Chinese laws and employer requirements.
Limitations：Preparation level is not a uniform hiring threshold.
Limitations：Preparation level is not a uniform hiring threshold.
Limitations：Percentiles are statistical positions and do not cover individual take-home income.
Limitations：Includes replacement demand and is not equal to net new jobs.
Limitations：Industry distribution is a signal of employer settings, not a demand forecast.
Limitations：Not equal to uniform hiring or assessment standards.
Limitations：Industry averages are not occupational medians and exclude self-employed individuals and freelancers.
Limitations：No entry precisely corresponding to O*NET 17-3027.00 was obtained.
Limitations：The exposure index is not equal to adoption rates, job outcomes, or hiring probability.
Limitations：The editorial scale is not evidence of adoption rates, layoffs, regulation, or licenses.
Limitations：United States occupation scope; detailed industry wages are not equal to the whole major industry value or an individual quote.
Limitations：Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
O*NET17-3027 identity, tasks, RIC, and JobZone3 have been verified; the 2025 five-percentile and hourly original values are correctly retained. Current employment runs from 36900 to 37400, with growth of 1%, a net increase of 500, and 3100 average annual openings; the industry split is 51/30/19. A different BLS OOH document adds this occupation's five detailed industry wages and postsecondary education, and is not a breakdown of the national percentiles; the NBS manufacturing 113594/76055 and the national non-private 129441 have been verified and are only industry background. The ILO is used only for the exposure concept, and evidence on tool capability and adoption is still missing. The FAQ/Hero and shared registry legacy projections and the JobZone duration are retained, and the partial basis does not sign off whole-page consistency.
Typical scope：Improve record and analysis formats within the authorized scope.
Readiness evidence：Show before-and-after record comparisons.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend authorization per the employer and engineering responsible person.
Typical scope：Collaborate with engineers to complete design and verification.
Readiness evidence：Show collaboration and review records.
Credential boundary：Verify per the specific jurisdiction and employer rules.
Next moves：Extend authorization per the employer and engineering responsible person.
