Every occupation the official NCES/BLS crosswalk connects to mechanical engineering programs, with BLS pay, the education each job usually needs, what the work involves, and where to go next.
Mechanical Engineering · CIP 14.1901 · 5 careers · Check one exact major, e.g. 14.1901 Mechanical Engineering, in the major to career finder
The official NCES/BLS crosswalk maps mechanical engineering programs to 5 occupations that such programs typically prepare people for, including Architectural and Engineering Managers, Cost Estimator and Aerospace Engineer. BLS median pay across them runs from $78,740 (Cost Estimator) to $171,270 (Architectural and Engineering Managers) in May 2025. The crosswalk describes preparation, not what graduates actually go on to do.
Data Program → related occupations: these are jobs mechanical engineering programs typically prepare people for (NCES/BLS crosswalk). Not a guaranteed outcome, and not a record of what graduates do.
Data Filter by the education the job usually needs or its preparation level; sort by pay or by number employed.
| Occupation | Most common education | Job Zone | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | 296,810 | Bachelor's Degree | 4 |
| Cost Estimator | $78,740 | 224,220 | Bachelor's Degree | 4 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,270 | 220,260 | Bachelor's Degree | 5 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 | 67,710 | n/a | 4 |
| Engineering Teachers, PostsecondaryPostsecondary teaching | $109,270 | 40,270 | n/a | 5 |
No occupations match these filters.
Data The education column shows a typical entry level only where O*NET data supports one answer. Check the typical education for Architectural and Engineering Managers, one of the mechanical engineering jobs above.
Data BLS national median annual wage, May 2025. These are pay levels of the occupations, not earnings of graduates.
Data The largest related occupations by employment (postsecondary teaching shown in the explorer).
Manage the coordination and overall integration of technical activities in architecture or engineering projects.
Direct, review, or approve project design changes.
Reading Comprehension · Complex Problem Solving · Active Listening
Mapped from CIP 14.1901Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
Confer with engineers, architects, owners, contractors, and subcontractors on changes and adjustments to cost estimates.
Reading Comprehension · Mathematics · Speaking
Mapped from CIP 14.1901Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environmental regulations, or quality standards.
Reading Comprehension · Critical Thinking · Complex Problem Solving
Career guide Salary How to become
Mapped from CIP 14.1901Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
Reading Comprehension · Active Listening · Critical Thinking
Career guide Salary How to become
Mapped from CIP 14.1901Data Related occupations grouped by government career field, with their pay range.
Data Other programs whose crosswalk occupations overlap with these.
Data A national median for federal-aid graduates of this field: a separate measure from the BLS job pay above.
See earnings by degree level, college spread and federal debt.
The NCES/BLS crosswalk relates instructional programs (CIP 2020) to occupations (SOC 2018) when programs in the CIP category typically prepare individuals directly for jobs in the occupation. This page uses the CIP program series below and shows every non-residual occupation mapped to them that has BLS wages and O*NET data; each occupation lists the CIP codes that map to it.
Searches this page answers include “what can you do with a mechanical engineering degree”, “what jobs can you get with a mechanical engineering degree”, “what can i do with a mechanical engineering degree” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
