Mechanical Engineer Career Assessment
Designing machines, engines, and heating and cooling systems
Welcome
Mechanical engineers design things that move. Engines, pumps, farm machines, heating and cooling systems, and factory equipment.
This is the fastest growing engineering job in North Dakota. You will explore what the work is really like and whether it fits you.
This takes about 15 minutes.
What is a Mechanical Engineer?
A mechanical engineer designs, tests, and improves machines and moving parts. They read blueprints and schematics. They use 3D design software to draw a part before it is made. They figure out why a machine keeps breaking and fix the design. Some work in a factory. Some design heating and cooling systems for buildings. Some work on farm equipment or oil field equipment.
The Reality: This is a four-year college degree and the math is hard. You take calculus 1, 2, and 3, differential equations, physics with calculus, and chemistry, plus statics, dynamics, and thermodynamics later. Thermodynamics is the study of heat and energy, and it is the class that surprises people. Four to five years is a normal length. There is also a real two-year door. A mechanical engineering technician degree takes two years, and the middle ND technician earns about $36.75 an hour, or about $76,440 a year. That is strong pay without the four-year degree, and the credits can move you toward one later.
Your Responsibilities:
- Design machines, parts, and systems with 3D software
- Read blueprints, technical drawings, and schematics
- Do math on force, heat, pressure, and motion
- Build and test prototypes before a part goes into production
- Find out why equipment failed and redesign it
- Watch over installation and repair of big equipment
- Write specifications so a shop can make the part right
- Work with technicians, machinists, and other engineers
If it moves, heats, cools, or pumps, a mechanical engineer designed it.
A Day in the Life
8:00 AM — Email. A plant reports a pump failing every few weeks.
8:30 AM — Open the 3D model. Look at the part that keeps wearing out.
10:00 AM — Run the numbers on a stronger material.
11:00 AM — Meet with a machinist about whether your new part can actually be made.
12:00 PM — Lunch.
1:00 PM — Walk out to the shop floor. Watch the machine run. Take measurements.
3:00 PM — Update the drawing and write the change into the file.
4:30 PM — Plan next week's test and send the customer an update.
Half computer design, half hands-on time with real machines.
Training in North Dakota
Most mechanical engineer jobs want a four-year degree. The two-year technician path is a real option and pays well. For the engineer title you need a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Look for an ABET accredited program. ABET is the national group that reviews engineering degrees, and an ABET degree makes the license much faster later. O*NET notes something worth knowing: for mechanical engineers, about 52% of workers surveyed said the job needs a bachelor's degree and about 29% said an associate degree was enough. So the two-year path really does get some people in.
Training Pathways:
- Two-year technician degree (2 years): A mechanical, instrumentation, or maintenance technology degree. You go to work as a technician in a plant, a refinery, or a manufacturing shop. Good pay and much less math.
- Two years here, then transfer (4 to 5 years total): Take math and science at a North Dakota two-year college, then finish the bachelor's at NDSU or UND. Cheaper, and you stay close to home at the start.
- Straight to the university (4 to 5 years): Start at NDSU or UND as a mechanical engineering major. Both say their mechanical engineering degree is ABET accredited.
Where to Train in North Dakota:
- North Dakota State University (Fargo) — Mechanical Engineering, BSMCE. NDSU lists the program as accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET — ndsu.edu/oira/resourcesresearch_links/accrediting_agencies
- University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) — Mechanical Engineering, BS, 128 credits, 4 or more years, on campus or online. UND states the program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET and that it meets the requirement to sit for the NCEES FE exam — und.edu/programs/mechanical-engineering-bs
- Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Instrumentation and Control Technology, AAS, offered online or on campus. Instruments and controls are the sensors and valves that run plant equipment — catalog.bismarckstate.edu
- Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Mechanical Maintenance Technology, AAS, on campus — catalog.bismarckstate.edu
- Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Liberal Arts Engineering Pathway, AS, with a mechanical engineering version. BSC says the recommended courses may give you junior standing when you transfer to UND or NDSU — catalog.bismarckstate.edu
- North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton) — Mechatronics Engineering Technology and Precision Machining Technology, AAS, plus a Liberal Arts (Engineering Transfer) AS. Mechatronics is machines plus electronics plus computer control — ndscs.edu/academics/programs
- Williston State College (Williston) — Electronics and Industrial Controls, a career and technical education program for automation and plant control work — willistonstate.edu/programs
- United Tribes Technical College (Bismarck) — Pre-Engineering, AS, built to transfer into ABET accredited bachelor's programs at UND, NDSU, South Dakota School of Mines, and Navajo Technical University — uttc.edu/academics/programs/pre-engineering
Before You Start: High school diploma or GED. Take all the math you can in high school: algebra 2, trigonometry, and pre-calculus. Physics matters most for this branch. Shop class, auto class, or welding experience is a real advantage here, because you will design parts that somebody has to build.
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.
Certification & Licensing
Many mechanical engineers never get licensed. It depends on what you design. The North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors licenses engineers in this state. Mechanical engineers who work inside a company, designing products, often work a whole career without a license. If you design building systems, sell engineering services to the public, or want to stamp drawings, you need the license. A stamp is an official mark that says you take responsibility for a design.
The License Ladder in North Dakota:
- No license needed for many in-company product design and manufacturing jobs
- Bachelor's degree first — the ND board says all registration in North Dakota is based on the bachelor's degree (ndpelsboard.org)
- FE exam — the Fundamentals of Engineering exam from NCEES. There are Mechanical versions: HVAC and Refrigeration, Machine Design and Materials, and Thermal and Fluids Systems (ncees.org)
- Engineer Intern (EI, also called EIT) — after you pass the FE exam. With an ABET accredited engineering degree the board asks for no work experience for this step (ndpelsboard.org)
- Work experience — 4 years with an ABET accredited engineering degree, 8 years with a non-ABET engineering degree, 12 years with an engineering technology or engineering-related degree (ndpelsboard.org)
- PE exam, then Professional Engineer — NCEES says the PE exam is for engineers with at least four years of work after college. You send five references: three licensed PEs and two character references (ndpelsboard.org)
The Exams: The FE exam has 110 questions in a 6-hour appointment, with 5 hours and 20 minutes of test time. It is on a computer at a Pearson test center, year-round. The PE exam is also on a computer, with one try per testing window and no more than three tries in 12 months. Results usually come in 7 to 10 business days (ncees.org).
Cost: NCEES lists $225 for the FE exam and $425 for the PE exam in most U.S. states. The ND board charges its own application fee, so call and ask. Most of your cost is the degree itself.
Keeping It Current: ND personal licenses renew every two years and expire December 31 of even-numbered years. The board asks for 30 Professional Development Hours each two years, with 20 technical and 1 in ethics (ndpelsboard.org).
Salary & Job Outlook
North Dakota Mechanical Engineer Pay (May 2025):
- Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $30.73–$37.50/hour ($63,930–$77,990/year)
- Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $41.51/hour ($86,330/year)
- Experienced (top 25–10%): $55.21–$65.41/hour ($114,830–$136,060/year)
What that means: North Dakota data was published for this job, so these are real ND numbers. The middle ND mechanical engineer earns about $41.51 an hour, or about $86,330 a year. Read this one carefully: the ND middle is well below the national middle of $50.05 an hour. ND pay at the bottom and the top is closer to national, but the middle is lower. Also notice the big gap between the middle at $86,330 and the 75th percentile at $114,830. Some of that is oil and gas and power plant work, which pays more but rises and falls with oil prices. A good year and a bad year can look very different.
Jobs in North Dakota: About 810 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 940 (about 16% growth). Expect about 60 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 9% growth — much faster than average.
Outlook: Very good. About 60 openings a year in North Dakota. ND is projected to grow about 16%, which is much faster than the national 9%. The number of openings is small because the whole field is small here, so be ready to look statewide.
Who Hires in ND: Manufacturing plants, farm equipment makers, oil and gas companies, power plants, food processing plants, engineering and consulting firms, heating and cooling design firms, and the state university system.
Work Setting: An office with design software, plus time in a shop, a plant, or a field site. Plants can be loud, hot, or cold. Some oil and gas jobs in western North Dakota run on a rotation schedule, where you work a block of days away from home and then have a block off. Ask about that before you take a job.
Physical Demands: Low to medium. Mostly sitting at a screen. Plant and shop time means standing, walking on hard floors, stairs and catwalks, and wearing hearing and eye protection. Field work in western ND means weather.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 17-2141); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.
Where This Leads
Path 1: Engineering Technician — A two-year-degree job testing and maintaining equipment.
Path 2: Engineer Intern (EI) — Passed the FE exam. Working under a licensed engineer.
Path 3: Design Engineer — You design the parts and machines.
Path 4: Reliability or Maintenance Engineer — You keep a whole plant running.
Path 5: Professional Engineer (PE) — Licensed. You can stamp drawings.
Path 6: Engineering Manager — You lead the design team and the budget.
The Real Talk
What's Great:
- Fastest growing engineering field in ND
- Strong pay without needing a license
- Hands-on and computer work mixed
- Skills work in almost any industry
- You see your design get built
- A real two-year door into the field
What's Hard:
- Four-year degree with calculus and physics
- Thermodynamics is a hard class
- ND middle pay is below the national middle
- Only about 60 openings a year in ND
- Oil and gas work swings with oil prices
- Some jobs mean loud plants or rotation schedules
Be Honest: Are you willing to take calculus, physics, and thermodynamics? Are you OK that the ND middle pay is lower than the national middle? Would you take a job in a loud plant, or on a rotation away from home?