Mechanical Engineer
A mechanical engineer designs, develops, and oversees the manufacture of mechanical systems, machines, and equipment used across industrial, automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure sectors in Australia.
What this job is
A mechanical engineer designs, develops, and oversees the manufacture of mechanical systems, machines, and equipment used across industrial, automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure sectors in Australia. They apply principles of mechanics, thermodynamics, and materials science to solve technical problems, improve performance, and ensure compliance with Australian Standards and relevant regulations. The role involves technical analysis, detailed design work, testing, and collaboration with manufacturers, clients, and regulatory bodies to deliver safe and efficient mechanical solutions.
Are employers advertising this role?
Steady, down 1.3% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Design mechanical components and assemblies using computer-aided design (CAD) software such as SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, or Fusion 360, ensuring compliance with AS/NZS standards. Conduct finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to validate designs and predict performance under operating conditions. Prepare detailed technical drawings and specifications for fabrication, assembly, and installation of mechanical equipment. Perform stress analysis, heat transfer calculations, and mechanical simulations to optimise design efficiency and safety margins. Select appropriate materials based on strength, durability, temperature resistance, and cost requirements for specific applications. Oversee manufacturing and assembly processes to ensure components meet design specifications and quality standards. Conduct mechanical testing and performance validation including pressure tests, vibration analysis, and load testing on prototypes and finished products. Prepare technical reports documenting design methodology, calculations, testing results, and recommendations for continuous improvement.
Who does this now
About 22,600 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Bachelor degree or higher (ABS skill level 1)
Registration or licensing may be required.
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. Ratings are not the same everywhere. SA, WA and NT were rated in shortage. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
You'll need to master expensive specialist software (SOLIDWORKS, CAD tools) and advanced maths (FEA, thermodynamics) that takes years to get genuinely good at. Career changers without an engineering degree face a real barrier: most employers want that qualification. The work is precise and unforgiving; a design error can cause equipment failure or injury. You're also competing with graduates who've studied this full-time.
Where the jobs are
Regional areas have some openings in mining equipment and infrastructure, but fewer. Most design work stays on-site rather than remote, though some larger firms offer hybrid arrangements. Automotive and aerospace hubs offer the steadiest employment.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 2335, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Adjust engineering designscore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Goal Setting and Planningcore
- Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Process Documentationcore
- Process Improvement Identificationcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Report Writingcore
- Research and Analysiscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Stakeholder Communicationcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Written Communicationcore
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Incident Reporting
- Microsoft Excel Data Management
- Negotiation
- Power BI Reporting and Dashboards
- Quality Assurance and Checking
- Supplier Communication
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
What Mechanical Engineer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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