One of the most diverse and versatile engineering fields, mechanical engineering is the study of objects and systems in motion. As such, the field of mechanical engineering touches virtually every aspect of modern life, including the human body, a highly complex machine.
The role of a mechanical engineer is to take a product from an idea to the marketplace. To accomplish this, the mechanical engineer must be able to determine the forces and thermal environment that a product, its parts, or its subsystems will encounter; design them for functionality, aesthetics, and durability; and determine the best manufacturing approach that will ensure operation without failure.
Mechanical engineers play key roles in a wide range of industries including automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, computers, electronics, microelectromechanical systems, energy conversion, robotics and automation, and manufacturing. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) currently lists 36 technical divisions, from advanced energy systems and aerospace engineering to solid-waste engineering and textile engineering. The breadth of the mechanical engineering discipline allows students a variety of career options beyond the industries listed above. Regardless of the particular path they envision for themselves, a mechanical engineering education empowers students with creative thinking skills to design an exciting product or system; analytical tools to achieve their design goals; the ability to overcome all constraints; and the teamwork needed to design, market, and produce a system. These valuable skills can be applied to launch careers in many other fields, such as medicine, law, consulting, management, banking, and finance.
Mechanical engineering is an evergreen field since it is the only branch of engineering which is immune to the impact of economic recession. Presently, with the broadening of scope and technological advancement, the prospects of mechanical engineering are extending beyond geographical peripheries. Mechanical engineering is the discipline which applies engineering, physics, materials science principles and engineering mathematics to design, analyse, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems. This field of engineering is the oldest and broadest of all engineering fields and the job prospects for skilled mechanical engineers are copious and limitless in India and abroad.
| Job Role | Average Salary (in Rs lakh per annum, 2-5 year work ex) | Top Recruiters |
|---|---|---|
| Project Manager: Duties comprise planning, budgeting, organising, staffing and documenting of all the data. | 9-20 | BHEL, ONGC, Larsen & Turbo, GAIL |
| Senior Engineer: Duties comprise the development of ideas, designing, installing software and providing support to the team in analysing and collecting data. | 7-14 | TATA Motors, Ashok Leyland, Godrej, Kirloskar |
| Service and Maintenance Engineer: Servicing the machinery used in various industries. | 5-6 | Hero Motorcorp, Samsung Engineering, Vodafone, |
| Instructional Designer: Responsible for creating learning activities, transfer, and compelling course content which enhances retention. | 7-12 | General Motors, Thyssenkrupp, Siemens, Thermax |
| Professors/Lecturers: Impart knowledge of a wide range of subjects. They perform research, write scholarly articles, among others | 7-18 | IITs, BITS, Anna University, Jadavpur Univers |