Mechanical engineering technician
Mechanical engineering technicians design, install and repair industrial machinery and parts.
Also known as: Mechanical maintenance technician
- Starter salary£27,000 a year
- Experienced£47,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a mechanical engineering technician, you could:
- use computer aided design (CAD) software to create technical plans
- test ideas to improve existing systems and solve problems
- install and test instruments and machinery
- find and repair faults
- service machinery parts like motors, gearboxes and turbines
- meet performance and safety targets
Working environment
You could work in a factory or in an office.
Your working environment may be noisy and outdoors some of the time.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
- knowledge of engineering science and technology
- maths knowledge
- design skills and knowledge
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a mechanical engineering technician
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
University
You can do a foundation degree or higher national diploma in mechanical engineering.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
College
You can take a college course which would teach you some of the skills needed to become a mechanical engineering technician.
Relevant courses include:
- mechanical engineering
- engineering technology
- T Level in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
- T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You may be able to start in a junior or assistant role by doing an Engineering and Manufacturing Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship.
You could also apply to do a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, such as:
- Engineering Technician
- Engineering Maintenance Technician
- Mechatronics Maintenance Technician
- Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician
Foundation apprenticeship
You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.
If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:
- have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- are in care or have been in care
- are in prison or have been in prison
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Career path and progression
With experience, you could manage a team or a project. You might also specialise in different areas, like power generation, product design, marine engineering or robotics.
You could work towards engineering technician (EngTech) status , which recognises your skills and expertise in the profession.
You could take further training to qualify as an engineer by completing a degree in mechanical engineering.
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the Institution of Mechanical Engineers for professional development opportunities and to build up your contacts in the industry.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleMechanical engineer
- Job roleEngineering maintenance technician
- Job roleBuilding services engineer
- Job roleMarine engineering technician
- Job roleAerospace engineering technician
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0