Mechanical Engineering Technician Career Assessment

2What is a Mechanical Engineering Technician?

These technicians work between the drawing and the metal. They build test setups and run tests on parts and machines to see how much load, heat, or wear a part can take. They record the numbers and help figure out what the numbers mean. They read and sometimes make drawings, often in CAD. CAD stands for computer-aided design, which is drawing a part on a computer instead of on paper. They measure finished parts against the drawing with precision tools. They also build prototypes, which are first working models made to try out a design before anyone makes hundreds of them.

The Reality: The path is two years, and the math is algebra and trigonometry, not calculus. But the work asks for precision. You will read mechanical drawings with tolerances on them, which means a part has to be within a stated fraction of an inch or it is scrap. You will measure to thousandths of an inch and your numbers have to be right, because engineers make decisions from them. Some of these jobs are mostly lab and office. Others are mostly shop floor, which means loud areas with hearing protection, safety glasses, steel-toed boots, standing all day, and lifting parts. Some manufacturing jobs run shifts. Ask which kind of job you are interviewing for, because the physical demands are very different.

Your Responsibilities:

• Build test setups for parts and machines
• Run tests on load, heat, pressure, vibration, and wear
• Record test data carefully and check it for errors
• Read mechanical drawings, including tolerances
• Draw or update parts in CAD software
• Measure finished parts with precision tools and report what is off
• Build prototypes and first working models
• Write up test reports so engineers can act on them

You turn a designer's idea into a real part and prove whether it holds up.

3A Day in the Life

7:00 AM — Check the test rig that ran overnight. Pull the data file.

8:00 AM — Look over the numbers for anything that does not make sense.

9:00 AM — Set up a new test: mount the part, wire the sensors, set the load.

10:30 AM — Measure three sample parts against the drawing. One is out of tolerance.

12:00 PM — Lunch.

12:45 PM — Walk to the shop floor and talk to the machinist about the out-of-spec part.

2:00 PM — Update a CAD drawing with a change the engineer asked for.

3:30 PM — Write the test report and start the next test run.

A mix of lab bench, measuring room, computer, and shop floor.

4Training in North Dakota

A two-year associate degree is the standard path. Precision machining is a strong route in. Employers want a two-year degree in mechanical, manufacturing, or machining technology, or an equivalent trade background with drawing-reading and measuring skills. North Dakota does not have a program with the exact title "mechanical engineering technology," so be flexible. The programs below teach the real skills: drawings, tolerances, precision measurement, CAD, and machines.

Training Pathways:

• Precision machining AAS (2 years): The most direct North Dakota route. NDSCS lists Precision Machining Technology, A.A.S., plus Introduction to Precision Machining Technology and Intermediate Precision Machining Technology certificates if you want to start smaller (ndscs.edu/academics/programs).
• Mechanical maintenance or mechatronics AAS (2 years): Bismarck State College offers Mechanical Maintenance Technology, AAS, on campus. BSC says it trains technicians to "install, maintain, and repair turbines, compressors, pumps, valves, and other industrial production and processing equipment," and calls it "the first of its kind regionally and within the North Dakota University System." NDSCS RAMT degrees also cover precision measurement, CAD, and additive manufacturing (bismarckstate.edu, catalog.ndscs.edu).
• Certificate first, then the degree (1 year, then finish): NDSCS lists a Precision Machining Technology certificate alongside the A.A.S., so you can get working sooner and come back. Ask the school how the certificate credits apply to the degree (ndscs.edu/academics/programs).

Where to Train in North Dakota:

• North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton) — Precision Machining Technology, A.A.S., plus Precision Machining Technology, Introduction to Precision Machining Technology, and Intermediate Precision Machining Technology certificates — ndscs.edu/academics/programs
• Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Mechanical Maintenance Technology, AAS, on campus. BSC says students learn "safety, fabrication, mechanics, fluid power, hydraulics, and use of tools" and service "motors, pumps, pneumatic tools, conveyor and pipeline systems, production machinery and automated equipment" — catalog.bismarckstate.edu/catalog/degrees/career-technical-education/mechanical-maintenance-technology
• North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton) — RAMT-General Technician, A.A.S. and RAMT-Mechatronics Engineering Technology, A.A.S. Both cover precision measurement, belt drives, bearings, chain drives, gear systems, CAD, and additive manufacturing — catalog.ndscs.edu/robotics-automation-and-mechatronics-technology
• North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton) — Architectural Modeling and Design Technology, A.A.S. and Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology, A.A.S., if the drawing and measuring side is what pulls at you — ndscs.edu/academics/programs
• Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Mechatronics Engineering Technology, Bachelor of Applied Science, if you later want a four-year applied degree built on a two-year one — bismarckstate.edu/academics/programs/MechatronicsEngineeringTechnologyBAS

Before You Start: High school diploma or GED. Be ready for college algebra and expect trigonometry. Shop, drafting, or CAD classes in high school help a lot. Good close-up vision matters for reading measuring tools. A driver's license.

Tip: Start with financial aid and scholarships. Fill out the FAFSA, ask the school’s financial aid office what you qualify for, and ask an employer whether they help pay for school. That is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like tuition, books, a laptop, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you enroll rather than after. Worth asking about specifically: two-year degrees that train you for a job, like civil engineering technology, land surveying, mechatronics, electronics, or instrumentation. North Dakota two-year colleges also cost far less than a university. Ask about paid summer internships too — engineering firms, plants, and survey crews hire students while they are still in school.

5Certification & Licensing

No state license is required. Employers name the skills and certificates they want. North Dakota does not license mechanical engineering technicians. There is no exam standing between you and this job. What employers look for is your degree, your ability to read a drawing, and your measuring accuracy. Some ask for specific CAD software or a machining credential. Read the job ads for the employers you actually want and see what they name, because it varies by shop.

Real Credentials in This Field:

• No North Dakota license required — your two-year degree and your measuring and drawing skills are the credential
• NICET certification — the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies certifies engineering technicians on a Level I through IV ladder. NICET says the levels "lay out a career path for advancement from entry to senior level responsibilities" and require exams, related work experience, and recommendations at Levels III and IV (nicet.org)
• CAD software skill — many job ads name a specific drawing program. The NDSCS robotics and automation courses include "Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and additive manufacturing techniques," so ask the school which program they teach (catalog.ndscs.edu)
• Machining credentials — some shops value a machining certificate on top of a degree. NDSCS offers Precision Machining Technology certificates at two levels alongside the A.A.S. (ndscs.edu/academics/programs)
• Employer and equipment-maker training — plants and manufacturers often pay for training on their own machines and test equipment. Ask in the interview whether they do
• A professional engineer license is not needed for this job. That license is for engineers who stamp designs, which is a different role and a four-year degree

The Exams: There is no entry exam for this career. NICET exams, if you choose to pursue them, are taken at NICET test centers and are combined with work experience requirements at each level.

Cost: Your two-year degree is the cost that matters. Ask NICET for current fees only if you decide that ladder fits your work. Many employers pay for software training and equipment classes.

Keeping It Current: Nothing has to be renewed to keep this job. NICET says its certifications are recertified every three years with continuing professional development, if you hold one.

6Salary & Job Outlook

North Dakota Mechanical Engineering Technician Pay (May 2025):

• Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $27.00–$30.55/hour ($56,160–$63,540/year)
• Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $36.75/hour ($76,440/year)
• Experienced (top 25–10%): $39.88–$58.84/hour ($82,940–$122,390/year)

What that means: North Dakota numbers were published, so these are real ND figures. The middle worker earns about $36.75 an hour, or about $76,440 a year, on a two-year degree. North Dakota is a little above the national median of $35.82 an hour. Read this range with care: only about 80 of these technicians are counted in the whole state, which is a small sample. Look at the shape. The 25th through 75th percentiles are bunched close together, from $30.55 to $39.88, and then the 90th jumps to $58.84. That top number is likely a few senior people at high-paying employers, not a step you can plan on. Plan on the bunched middle.

Jobs in North Dakota: About 80 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 90 (about 8% growth). Expect about 10 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 0% growth — little or no change.

Outlook: Modest but real, and better in North Dakota than nationally. O*NET shows about 80 of these technicians in the state now and about 90 by 2034, about 8% growth, with about 10 openings a year. The national picture is flat at about 0% with about 3,200 openings a year. About 80 jobs statewide is a small pool, so treat job titles loosely: look for "test technician," "manufacturing technician," "quality technician," and "maintenance technician" as well, because the same skills get hired under all of those names.

Who Hires in ND: Farm and construction equipment manufacturers, unmanned aircraft and defense suppliers, machine shops and fabricators, food and agricultural processing plants, power plants, and engineering firms with test labs.

Work Setting: Depends heavily on the employer. Some jobs are a clean lab, a measuring room, and a desk with CAD. Others are mostly shop floor, which is loud and requires hearing protection, safety glasses, and steel-toed boots. Manufacturing plants may run shifts. Ask which kind of job you are applying to, because the answer changes the work a lot.

Physical Demands: Low to medium, and it varies more here than in the other two technician careers. Lab and CAD-heavy jobs are mostly sitting and standing at a bench, with little lifting. Shop-floor and plant jobs mean standing all day, lifting parts, kneeling, and sometimes reaching into machines. Good close-up vision is needed for precision measuring tools. If lifting or standing is a limitation for you, the lab and test side of this career is a genuinely good fit, so ask about it directly.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 17-3027); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.

7Where This Leads

Path 1: Test or Lab Technician Trainee — Learning the test equipment beside someone experienced.

Path 2: Mechanical Engineering Technician — Running tests and measurements on your own.

Path 3: Quality or Inspection Technician — Checking parts against the drawing and the standard.

Path 4: CAD Technician or Drafter — Working mostly in drawings and models.

Path 5: Lead Technician or Test Lab Lead — Planning the test schedule and guiding others.

Path 6: Manufacturing or Quality Supervisor — Running the department.

8The Real Talk

What's Great:

• Two-year degree, no calculus
• Pay a little above the US median
• Lab-heavy jobs are physically light
• You see parts you tested get built
• Skills transfer to many industries
• Can stack into a four-year applied degree later

What's Hard:

• Precision work with no room for sloppy numbers
• Only about 80 of these jobs statewide
• Job titles vary, so searching takes work
• Shop-floor jobs are loud and physical
• Some manufacturing jobs run shifts
• No ND program with this exact title

Be Honest: Are you careful enough to measure to thousandths of an inch and report the number honestly, even when it is bad news? Can you read a drawing with tolerances on it? Do you want the lab side or the shop side, and have you asked employers which one they are hiring for?

9Part 1: What Attracts You?

10Part 2: Are You Ready?

11Part 3: Your Next Move

Your Mechanical Engineering Technician Assessment Results