Explore career options in mechanical engineering
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles a mechanical engineering degree may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines including the design, analysis, manufacture and maintenance of mechanical systems. Mechanical Engineering turns energy into power and motion. Mechanical Engineers design, create and improve systems and machinery that is used for domestic, public and industrial purposes.
Mechanical engineering covers the design and manufacture of a great variety of products such as domestic appliances, industrial machinery, ships, aircraft, engines, pumps, compressors and turbines or complex systems such as the air-conditioning and ventilation systems of buildings. This area links closely with other areas of engineering and applies knowledge of materials, energy and structures.
You will find career opportunities in medical, automotive, marine, aerospace, renewable energy, manufacturing, sporting and many other sectors. Careers in mechanical engineering require a variety of skills including problem-solving, analytical thinking, creativity, critical thinking, innovation and communication.
Career fields
- Industrial, mechanical and production engineers
- Engineering consultancies
- Aerospace and high-tech industry
- AI and automotive technology
- Engineering consultancies
- Manufacturing sector
- Waste Management and energy
- Building services
- Food processing
- Mining sector
- Project management
- Biomedical industry
- Health
- Machinery and equipment manufacturing
- Chemical processing
- Environment
- Defence technology
- Public utilities
Employment roles
- Mechanical engineer
- Aerospace engineer
- Automotive engineer
- Technician
- Project control engineer
- Mechatronics design engineer
- Field service and production engineer
- Project engineer
- Mechanical and reliability engineer
- Risk engineer
- Mechanical engineering technologist
Occupation snapshot
Employed
22,900
Job growth
Stable
Weekly salary
$1,884
Part-time share
10%
This data is based on the occupation profile for mechanical engineers, retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website and YourCareer website August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Graduate career snapshot
Solve problems using knowledge of mechanical devices across a range of industries.
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies and career resources can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- GradConnection
- Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission careers
- Department of Home Affairs careers
- Australian Public Service Jobs
- Brisbane City Council vacancies
- Australian Local Government Directory
- Queensland Government jobs
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- Seek engineering vacancies
- Adzuna
- Australian Defence Force recruitment
- Hudson Engineering Recruitment
- Boeing mechanical and structural engineering careers
- Engineers Australia career planning services
Notable alumnus: Tiana Sing
Tiana Sing, a graduate engineer at Nova Systems in Melbourne, attributes her passion for the defence industry and her current career path to the hands-on experience she gained during her Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree at Griffith University. Involved in university clubs and completing work experience with Airbus in Brisbane, she discovered her interest in defence and aerospace, which has led to a fulfilling and supportive role at Nova Systems.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at Jobs and Skills Australia.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Engineers Australia
- Alternative Technology Association
- Consult Australia
- Australian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy
- Society for Engineering in Agriculture
- Institute of Industrial Engineers
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to fostering quality education and a more equitable and just society, where everyone has a chance to thrive while fostering partnerships for the goals.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.