They design and develop power-producing machines such as internal combustion engines, steam and gas turbines, and jet and rocket engines. The work of mechanical engineers varies by industry and function. Specialties include, among others, applied mechanics, design engineering, heat transfer, power plant engineering, pressure vessels and piping, and underwater technology. Mechanical engineers design tools needed by other engineers for their work. Mechanical engineering is the broadest engineering discipline, extending across many interdependent specialties.
Some mechanical engineers work in production operations, maintenance, and technical sales.
Many are administrators or managers. A mechanical engineer uses a CAD workstation to design an improved industrial lathe. Employment Mechanical engineers held about 227,000 jobs in 1992. More than 3 out of 5 jobs were in manufacturing of these, most were in the machinery, transportation equipment, electrical equipment, instruments, and fabricated metal products industries. Business and engineering consulting services and government agencies provided most of the remaining jobs.