Mechanical Engineering Schools
As a professor or instructor of mechanical engineering classes at one of the 580 accredited mechanical engineering schools in the country, you play a central role in shaping the future of this growing field. The graphs, statistics and analysis below outline the current state and the future direction of academia in mechanical engineering, which encompasses mechanical engineering training at the following levels:
- Mechanical Engineering Certificate
- Associates degree in Mechanical Engineering
- Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering
- Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering
- PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering
Statistics
Professional Trends
National Employment growth for Mechanical engineering professionals
| 570,990 | 590,910 | 599,560 | 576,880 | 549,180 |
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|
- Dark Yellow: Actual Values
549,180 mechanical engineering professionals were working in the US in the year 2010. The number of mechanical engineering professionals has shrunk by 4% between 2006 and 2010.
This decline is faster than the growth for all careers during the same time period. There was a 1% decline for all careers. This trend is expected to continue over the next 7 years.
National Salary percentiles for Mechanical engineering professionals
10th percentile |
$38,988 |
25th percentile |
$50,184 |
50th percentile |
$65,074 |
75th percentile |
$81,866 |
90th percentile |
$99,100 |
Nationally, the median yearly salary earned by mechanical engineering professionals was $65,074 in 2010. This is 1% less than the national median salary for all professions, which was $68,155 per year.
National Median Salary Growth For Mechanical Engineering
| $59,062 | $61,128 | $63,022 | $64,174 | $65,074 |
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|
- Light Blue: Salaries
Between the years 2006 and 2010, salaries for mechanical engineering professionals have grown by 10%.
Educational Trends
National Mechanical Engineering Student enrollment growth by degree
| 1,497 | 1,374 | 1,287 | 1,178 | 1,878 |
| 17,238 | 18,187 | 19,026 | 18,938 | 20,190 |
| 1,096 | 1,106 | 1,109 | 1,143 | 1,000 |
| 4,485 | 4,294 | 4,528 | 4,654 | 4,858 |
| 389 | 552 | 616 | 397 | 971 |
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|
- Yellow: Associate's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
- Blue: Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
- Red: Doctorates Degree in Mechanical Engineering
- Light blue: Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
- Grey: Certificate in Mechanical Engineering
We are seeing a rapid change in the career outlook for mechanical engineering professionals. However, the story on the educational front is quite different. In the year 2006 there were 24,705 students who graduated from mechanical engineering degree programs across the country, while in the year 2010, there were 28,897 students graduating from mechanical engineering schools.
This represents a 17% change in the number of graduates. This growth in the number of students graduating from mechanical engineering courses is greater than the change nationally for students graduating from institutions for higher education in general, which has been a 12% growth from 2006 to 2010.
Mechanical Engineering Programs offered Nationwide
associate |
236 |
bachelor |
375 |
master |
206 |
doctor |
126 |
Certificate |
91 |
| Total | 1,034 |
It is interesting to note that as student graduation is up, the number of schools offering mechanical engineering programs has also increased. In 2006 there were 278 mechanical engineering schools across the nation, and in 2010, there were 580 schools.