# Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians

US SOC code 17-3027. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-3027

Also called: Automotive engineering technicians.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **36,190** US mechanical engineering technologists and technicians, with median pay of **$74,510** a year. The earliest figure here is [a Census count](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1968/demo/tp-18.html) of **55,000** from 1960, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era in this work: Additive manufacturing + PLM software + automated CMM measurement, 2012 to 2023.

Figures: Official statistic (latest count and pay); Researched context (earliest figure).

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 1.3% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-3027&ioType=o) (Official statistic).

### AI exposure studies

- **40.8%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv) (Official statistic)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35.

## Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1946
- Latest US employment: 36,190 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Latest US median pay: $74,510 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Outlook: +1.3% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [14]

### All 25 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1960 | 55,000 | n/a | Decennial Census 1960 [1] |
| 1990 | 97,000 | $29,500 | Decennial Census 1990 [2] |
| 2003 | 50,510 | $41,890 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [3] |
| 2004 | 46,990 | $43,400 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [3] |
| 2005 | 46,580 | $44,830 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [3] |
| 2006 | 46,660 | $45,850 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [3] |
| 2007 | 46,230 | $47,280 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [3] |
| 2008 | 45,770 | $48,130 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [3] |
| 2009 | 43,580 | $48,970 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [3] |
| 2010 | 44,170 | $50,110 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [3] |
| 2011 | 44,760 | $51,350 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [3] |
| 2012 | 46,630 | $51,980 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [3] |
| 2013 | 46,090 | $52,390 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [3] |
| 2014 | 47,560 | $53,530 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [3] |
| 2015 | 48,910 | $53,910 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [3] |
| 2016 | 45,510 | $54,480 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [3] |
| 2017 | 43,390 | $55,360 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [3] |
| 2018 | 41,460 | $56,250 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [3] |
| 2019 | 42,820 | $56,980 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [3] |
| 2020 | 39,880 | $58,230 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [3] |
| 2021 | 40,180 | $60,460 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [3] |
| 2022 | 39,610 | $61,990 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [3] |
| 2023 | 38,930 | $64,020 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [3] |
| 2024 | 37,450 | $68,730 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [3] |
| 2025 | 36,190 | $74,510 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [3] |

## Sources (69)

### Employment series

1. [US Census Bureau -- Changes Between the 1950 and 1960 Occupation and Industry Classifications (engineering technician categories)](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1968/demo/tp-18.html), US Census Bureau
2. [IPUMS USA -- 1990 Census occupation classification, code 215: Mechanical engineering technicians (OCC1990 variable documentation)](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/occ1990.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

4. [IPUMS USA -- 1990 Census median earnings by detailed occupation, OCC 215 Mechanical engineering technicians](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/occ1990.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

6. [ABET -- History of ABET (engineering technology program accreditation began 1946 under ECPD)](https://www.abet.org/about-abet/history/), ABET
7. [Wikipedia -- Numerical control (history of NC/CNC machines, 1950s development, Boeing adoption 1956)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerical_control), Wikipedia
8. [Wikipedia -- Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM history, early NC programming, Bezier UNISURF at Renault, 1960s)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_manufacturing), Wikipedia
9. [Wikipedia -- AutoCAD (release December 1982, dominant by March 1986)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD), Wikipedia
10. [Wikipedia -- Computer-aided design (IBM Drafting System mid-1960s; desktop CAD democratization in 1980s)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_design), Wikipedia
11. [Wikipedia -- SolidWorks (first released November 1995, designed for desktop PCs)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolidWorks), Wikipedia
12. [Wikipedia -- Additive manufacturing (3D printing emergence 1980s; affordable mainstream industrial adoption 2010s)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_manufacturing), Wikipedia
13. [O\*NET 17-3027.00 -- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians occupational summary (task and technology profile, 2024)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-3027.00), O\*NET / BLS

### Forecasts and exposure studies

14. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 17-3027 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians (2025: 36.9 thousand; 2035: 37.4 thousand; +1.3%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-3027&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
15. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 17-3027.00, human-rated β 0.408)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

16. [ABET -- History (ECPD began evaluating engineering technology programs in 1946)](https://www.abet.org/about-abet/history/), ABET
17. [Wikipedia -- Computer-aided manufacturing (Boeing NC machine adoption 1956)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_manufacturing), Wikipedia
18. [Wikipedia -- AutoCAD (first released December 1982; most ubiquitous CAD program worldwide by March 1986)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD), Wikipedia
19. [Wikipedia -- SolidWorks (first product SolidWorks 95 released November 1995, one of first 3D CAD tools for desktop PC)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolidWorks), Wikipedia
20. [Wikipedia -- Engineering technologist (Sydney Accord signed 2001, international recognition of engineering technologist credentials)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_technologist), Wikipedia
21. [O\*NET 17-3027.00 -- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (BLS SOC 2018 revision, merged technician and technologist codes)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-3027.00), O\*NET / BLS

### Predecessors & successors

22. [ABET -- History (engineering technology accreditation 1946, creating formal credential pathway)](https://www.abet.org/about-abet/history/), ABET
23. [Wikipedia -- Engineering technologist (engineering technology degree programs began 1950s-1960s in US and Canada)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_technologist), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-21
- [O\*NET 30.3 — US Department of Labor](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), accessed 2026-05-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.