Home / Occupation profile / Mechanical Engineering Technicians
Print Print

Mechanical Engineering Technicians

ANZSCO ID 312512

Find Vacancies Opens in a new window

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
91%
Female Share
3%
Average age
42
About this data

Summary

Mechanical Engineering Technicians conduct tests of mechanical systems, collect and analyse data, and assemble and install mechanical assemblies in support of Mechanical Engineers and Engineering Technologists.

Specialisations: Boiler Testing Technician, Hydraulic Controls Technician, Mechanical Laboratory Technician, Pipe Testing Technician.

A certificate III or IV in mechanical engineering or another related field is usually needed to work as a Mechanical Engineering Technician. Some workers have a university qualification.

Tasks

  • Selects tools and equipment.

  • Assembles and installs new and modified mechanical assemblies, components, machine tools and controls, and hydraulic power systems.

  • Estimates material costs and quantities, and machine requirements.

  • Performs and directs field and laboratory tests.

  • Collects and analyses data, carries out complex computations and prepares diagrams.

  • Organises and supervises inspection and maintenance of machines and plant.

  • Ensures that designs and finished work are within specifications, regulations and contract provisions.

Characteristics

Job Type
Technicians And Trades Workers
Skill Level
High skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
3125 Mechanical Engineering Draftspersons, Technicians
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
Physical Demand
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Mechanical Engineering Draftspersons, Technicians, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 91% of people employed as Mechanical Engineering Technicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 25 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 46 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
22.4%
2
Other Services
15.1%
3
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
11.4%
4
Wholesale Trade
8.4%
5
Other industries
34.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

24.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

23.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

15.8% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

8.5% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

24.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.9% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Mechanical Engineering Technicians All Jobs Average
NSW 24.1 31.6
VIC 23.1 25.6
QLD 15.8 20.0
SA 8.5 7.0
WA 24.4 10.8
TAS 1.9 2.0
NT 1.1 1.0
ACT 1.1 1.9


  • Around 62% of Mechanical Engineering Technicians live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    Western Australia has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    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
42
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
3%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Mechanical Engineering Technicians is 42 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 3% of the workforce. This is 45 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 Mechanical Engineering Technicians All Jobs Average
15-19 0.8 5.0
20-24 4.9 9.3
25-34 24.1 22.9
35-44 27.8 22.0
45-54 23.8 21.6
55-59 8.7 9.0
60-64 6.1 6.0
65 and Over 3.9 4.2
Median Age 42 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 certificate III or IV in mechanical engineering or another related field is usually needed to work as a Mechanical Engineering Technician. Some workers have a university qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.

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 Mechanical Engineering Technicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.7 10.1
Bachelor degree 12.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 16.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 56.4 21.1
Year 12 5.7 18.1
Year 11 1.9 4.8
Year 10 and below 4.1 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 Mechanical Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 50%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 48%

    Quality control analysis

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

  • 48%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 46%

    Active listening

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

  • 46%

    Monitoring

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

  • 46%

    Operation monitoring

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

  • 46%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 46%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 45%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 45%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 45%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 45%

    Time management

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

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 43%

    Active learning

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

  • 43%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 41%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 39%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 77%

    Mechanical

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

  • 69%

    Technical design

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

  • 69%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 60%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 59%

    Production and processing

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

  • 57%

    Physics

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

  • 56%

    English language

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

  • 55%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 50%

    Chemistry

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

  • 48%

    Administration and management

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

  • 48%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 47%

    Education and training

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

  • 42%

    Building and construction

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

  • 42%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 40%

    Clerical

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

  • 32%

    Telecommunications

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

  • 29%

    Sales and marketing

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

  • 28%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 27%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 25%

    Personnel and human resources

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

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 55%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 54%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 54%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 54%

    Near vision

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

  • 54%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 54%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 52%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 52%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 50%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 48%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 48%

    Visualization

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

  • 46%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 46%

    Perceptual speed

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

  • 46%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 45%

    Brainstorming

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

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

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.

  • 70%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 69%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 67%

    Thinking creatively

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

  • 66%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 63%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 63%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 63%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 63%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 63%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 61%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

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

  • 61%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 60%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 57%

    Collecting and organising information

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

  • 56%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 55%

    Documenting or recording information

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

  • 52%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 49%

    Making sense of information and ideas

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

  • 46%

    Working with computers

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

  • 43%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

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

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.

  • 86%

    Analytical

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

  • 86%

    Practical

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

  • 52%

    Administrative

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

  • 48%

    Creative

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

  • 24%

    Enterprising

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

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

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

  • 76%

    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.

  • 62%

    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.

  • 57%

    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.

  • 52%

    Achievement

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

  • 52%

    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.

  • 48%

    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.

Demands

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

  • 93%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 93%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 88%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 87%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 87%

    Contact with people

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

  • 85%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 85%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 85%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 79%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

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

  • 78%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 77%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 76%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 74%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 72%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 69%

    Responsible for outcomes

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

  • 68%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 67%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 67%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

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

  • 65%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 65%

    Dangerous equipment

    Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.

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, 17-3027.00 - Mechanical Engineering Technicians.

Links and downloads

Back to top