Overview
All Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers
-
$2,414 Weekly Pay
-
Very strong Future Growth
-
45,500 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
92% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
45 hours Average full-time
-
38 years Average age
-
7% female Gender Share
Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers design, organise and oversee the construction, operation and maintenance of mechanical and process plant and installations, establish programs for the coordination of manufacturing activities, and ensure usage of resources is cost effective.
You need a bachelor degree in a relevant engineering discipline to work as an Industrial, Mechanical or Production Engineer. Postgraduate studies may also be useful.
Tasks
- studying functional statements, organisational charts and project information to determine functions and responsibilities of workers and work units and to identify areas of duplication
- establishing work measurement programs and analysing work samples to develop standards for labour utilisation
- analysing workforce utilisation, facility layout, operational data and production schedules and costs to determine optimum worker and equipment efficiencies
- designing mechanical equipment, machines, components, products for manufacture, and plant and systems for construction
- developing specifications for manufacture, and determining materials, equipment, piping, material flows, capacities and layout of plant and systems
- organising and managing project labour and the delivery of materials, plant and equipment
- establishing standards and policies for installation, modification, quality control, testing, inspection and maintenance according to engineering principles and safety regulations
- inspecting plant to ensure optimum performance is maintained
- directing the maintenance of plant buildings and equipment, and coordinating the requirements for new designs, surveys and maintenance schedules
Prospects
There were 45,500 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew very strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow very strongly over the next five years
- is likely to reach 52,800 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a large occupation.
- Location: Many Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers work in Western Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; and Mining.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $2,414 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (92%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 45 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 38 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 7% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You need a bachelor degree in a relevant engineering discipline to work as an Industrial, Mechanical or Production Engineer. Postgraduate studies may also be useful.
Registration may be required in some states and territories. In addition, Engineers Australia has a non-compulsory National Engineering Register.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Technology design
Designing and improving equipment and technology.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts
Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
-
Giving expert advice
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 17-2141.00 - Mechanical Engineers.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 17-2141.00 - Mechanical Engineers.
All Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers
-
$2,414 Weekly Pay
-
Very strong Future Growth
-
45,500 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
92% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
45 hours Average full-time
-
38 years Average age
-
7% female Gender Share
Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers design, organise and oversee the construction, operation and maintenance of mechanical and process plant and installations, establish programs for the coordination of manufacturing activities, and ensure usage of resources is cost effective.
You need a bachelor degree in a relevant engineering discipline to work as an Industrial, Mechanical or Production Engineer. Postgraduate studies may also be useful.
Tasks
- studying functional statements, organisational charts and project information to determine functions and responsibilities of workers and work units and to identify areas of duplication
- establishing work measurement programs and analysing work samples to develop standards for labour utilisation
- analysing workforce utilisation, facility layout, operational data and production schedules and costs to determine optimum worker and equipment efficiencies
- designing mechanical equipment, machines, components, products for manufacture, and plant and systems for construction
- developing specifications for manufacture, and determining materials, equipment, piping, material flows, capacities and layout of plant and systems
- organising and managing project labour and the delivery of materials, plant and equipment
- establishing standards and policies for installation, modification, quality control, testing, inspection and maintenance according to engineering principles and safety regulations
- inspecting plant to ensure optimum performance is maintained
- directing the maintenance of plant buildings and equipment, and coordinating the requirements for new designs, surveys and maintenance schedules
There were 45,500 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew very strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow very strongly over the next five years
- is likely to reach 52,800 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a large occupation.
- Location: Many Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers work in Western Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; and Mining.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $2,414 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (92%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 45 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 38 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 7% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You need a bachelor degree in a relevant engineering discipline to work as an Industrial, Mechanical or Production Engineer. Postgraduate studies may also be useful.
Registration may be required in some states and territories. In addition, Engineers Australia has a non-compulsory National Engineering Register.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Employers look for Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Technology design
Designing and improving equipment and technology.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts
Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
-
Giving expert advice
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 17-2141.00 - Mechanical Engineers.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 17-2141.00 - Mechanical Engineers.