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Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers

ANZSCO ID 2335

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
43,400
Future Growth
5.5%
Weekly Earnings
$2,410
Full-Time Share
90%
Female Share
7%
Average age
38
About this data

Summary

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.

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

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
2335 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers This occupation is Current selected
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow moderately
  • is likely to reach 28,800 by 2026.

    • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: 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 projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
5.5%
(or 1,500 jobs)
From
27,300
in 2021
To
28,800
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 31,000
2012 30,000
2013 33,400
2014 29,500
2015 29,000
2016 35,400
2017 25,300
2018 27,300
2019 40,100
2020 45,500
2021 27,300
2026 28,800

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 92% of people employed as Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 26 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $2,410 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $2,018
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $3,285

    Median hourly earnings are $64, this is much more than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, 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.
Earnings Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 2,410 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, 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.

Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
30.2%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
27.4%
3
Mining
10.3%
4
Construction
7.9%
5
Other industries
24.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

26.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

29.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

17.3% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

17.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers All Jobs Average
NSW 26.1 31.6
VIC 29.4 25.6
QLD 17.3 20.0
SA 7.0 7.0
WA 17.5 10.8
TAS 1.2 2.0
NT 0.6 1.0
ACT 0.8 1.9


  • Around 75% of Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Western Australia and Victoria have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
38
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
7%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 7% of the workforce. This is 41 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.2 5.0
20-24 5.8 9.3
25-34 33.3 22.9
35-44 27.2 22.0
45-54 18.3 21.6
55-59 6.8 9.0
60-64 4.6 6.0
65 and Over 3.8 4.2
Median Age 38 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in a relevant engineering discipline is needed to work as an Industrial, Mechanical or Production Engineer. Some workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Registration may be required in some states and territories. In addition, Engineers Australia has a non-compulsory National Engineering Register.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

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.
Type of Qualification Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 18.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 58.2 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 9.5 11.6
Certificate III/IV 9.7 21.1
Year 12 3.6 18.1
Year 11 0.4 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.5 12.5

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.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 70%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 70%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 68%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 66%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 66%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 63%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 61%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 61%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 59%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 57%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 57%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 57%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 55%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 55%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 55%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 54%

    Technology design

    Designing and improving equipment and technology.

  • 54%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 52%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 50%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 50%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 87%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 84%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 79%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 78%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 73%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 67%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 57%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 57%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 56%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 51%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 51%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 49%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 48%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 37%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 36%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 35%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 35%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 33%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 32%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 25%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 70%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 70%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 70%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 68%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 68%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 63%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 61%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 59%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 59%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 59%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 59%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 57%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 55%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 54%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 48%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 46%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 71%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 69%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 68%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 67%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 66%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 66%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 62%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 61%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 61%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 61%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 60%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

    Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

  • 58%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 57%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 56%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 52%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 52%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 50%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 49%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 48%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 40%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

Interests and demands

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.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 90%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 57%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 29%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 24%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 81%

    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.

  • 76%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    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.

  • 74%

    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.

  • 67%

    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.

  • 67%

    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.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 99%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 95%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 92%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 90%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 89%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 89%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 87%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 86%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 84%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 83%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 83%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 77%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 76%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 76%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 71%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 70%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 70%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 69%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 67%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 67%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

Occupational Information Network
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.

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