Mechanical engineering is an extremely diverse field that covers the design, organisation, management, construction, operation and maintenance of mechanical equipment and machinery. Therefore, any company that designs or produces a product can require mechanical engineering graduates.
As technological innovation has continued to advance, the need for mechanical engineers has increased and there has been over 18% growth in employment in the past five years.
In many jobs mechanical engineering graduates will be specialists, applying their knowledge and skills to specific aspects of an employer’s technical operations.
There are a number of mechanical engineering jobs, including:
Mechanical engineering graduates generally work in engineering services, manufacturing industries, research and development, or with state and federal governments.
There is a broad range of industries that employ mechanical engineers including:
The majority of mechanical engineering graduates, 72%, found full-time employment four months after graduating and enjoyed a higher than average starting wage of $55,000 to $60,000 per year.
The majority of mechanical engineering graduates will find work in either Victoria, NSW or Queensland, which are the top three regions in Australia for employment in this sector. Graduate opportunities in Western Australia have decreased in recent years.
Many companies hire mechanical engineering graduates through graduate programs. These can be found on job boards and at university career expos.
The Engineers Australia website is also a good resource for graduates.
Mechanical engineers are listed as an occupation in demand in Australia, so graduates from overseas who studied in Australia can apply for a visa under the General Skilled Migration Program.
Graduate Digital Consultant at Worley at Worley
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) (Honours)/Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) at Monash University
Mechanical Project Engineer at ANSTO at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) (Honours) at University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
Space systems engineer, Defence Science and Technology Group at Department of Defence
Graduate Mechanical Engineer – Analysis and Improvement, Major Shutdowns at BHP at BHP