r/MechanicalEngineering • u/AutoModerator • Sep 01 '26

Quarterly /r/MechanicalEngineering Career/Salary Megathread

9 Upvotes

Are you looking for feedback or information on your salary or career? Then you've come to the right thread. If your questions are anything like the following example questions, then ask away:

Am I underpaid?
Is my offered salary market value?
How do I break into [industry]?
Will I be pigeonholed if I work as a [job title]?
What graduate degree should I pursue?

Message the mods for suggestions, comments, or feedback.

4 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/yaoz889 • Mar 23 '26

2026 US Mechanical Engineer Survey Results

557 Upvotes

I would like to thank you everyone for participating in the annual 2026 ME Salary survey. Total respondents was a little over 600, so less than last year, but about 589 US responses.

Past Results Link

Background:

Here are the main results. It took about 2 hours to "clean" the data manually. Afterwards, I basically used Gemini to create the graphs + tables, since last time it literally took me about 7 hours to do everything manually on Excel last time and there were still questions. The key points and takeaways from the data is a combination of AI and editing the information to be more readable (still took 4 hours). In addition, I wouldn't worry about math too much, since Gemini basically just used python code to decipher the edited CSV file.

Industry:

Industry	Number of Respondents
Manufacturing	175 (29.7%)
Aerospace/Defense	173 (29.4%)
Technology (FANG, AI, Robotics, etc.)	54 (9.2%)
MEP (HVAC, Construction, etc.)	38 (6.5%)
Utilities (Power, Renewables, etc.)	35 (5.9%)
Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices	31 (5.3%)
Oil and Gas	28 (4.8%)
Consumer Goods	15 (2.5%)
Government	11 (1.9%)

There were some other industries like nuclear, logistics, and etc. but the few data points aren't included in the table for brevity. The data was included in the total set though
A majority of the mechanical engineers trends will use the Aerospace/Defense and Manufacturing data since there is the most data that is available

Salary and Year of Experience:

*Note: Total Compensation/Salary = Base Salary + Bonus + RSU + Base Salary * 401k Match

If you want to look at one graph and table to explain the progression track here it is:

YOE Range	Median Base (Unadj)	Median Total (Unadj)	Median Base (COL Adj)	Median Total (COL Adj)	Count
0-1 Year	$87,000	$96,036	$81,699	$87,368	43
2 Years	$84,000	$91,046	$84,615	$90,909	71
3 Years	$94,550	$105,965	$94,082	$102,289	62
4-5 Years	$104,000	$119,770	$94,881	$107,762	116
6-8 Years	$120,000	$136,800	$112,500	$127,911	119
9-12 Years	$125,500	$146,985	$123,444	$142,555	96
13-20 Years	$157,290	$181,840	$144,254	$171,731	64
20+ Years	$196,500	$211,426	$163,399	$191,042	15

Key Takeaways:

The "Benefit Gap": The space between the solid lines (Total Compensation) and the dashed lines (Base Salary) represents the added value from annual bonuses and employer 401k matching. For a mid-career engineer (6-8 years), this extra value is roughly $16,800 on average.
Late Career Leverage: As engineers gain seniority (13+ years), the gap between base salary and total compensation grows significantly, suggesting that bonuses and incentive programs make up a larger portion of the package for senior-level and leadership roles.
Purchasing Power: The COL Adjusted lines (Orange) consistently track below the un-adjusted lines (Blue), highlighting that high-paying mechanical engineering roles are frequently located in markets where the dollar doesn't stretch as far as the national average.

Education:

Majority of the respondents are at max a bachelor degree holder. However, there is still a significant number of master's students

Now about the age old question: does having a Master's degree lead to higher future salary?

Short Answer: In general, the answer is yes if there is a chance to specialize. It is explained in the table below:

Industry	Career Stage	Education	Median Total (Unadj)	Median Total (COL Adj)	Count
Aerospace & Defense	0-3 Years	Bachelors	$96,664	$95,201	44
		Masters	$116,600	$108,316	15
	4-7 Years	Bachelors	$125,410	$110,659	39
		Masters	$173,000	$148,432	9
	8-15 Years	Bachelors	$161,750	$140,202	33
		Masters	$154,905	$149,658	16
	15+ Years	Bachelors	$207,080	$187,505	7
		Masters	$211,426	$207,872	5
Manufacturing	0-3 Years	Bachelors	$88,220	$93,452	52
		Masters	$93,740	$91,850	6
	4-7 Years	Bachelors	$108,992	$106,701	45
		Masters	$129,800	$128,407	12
	8-15 Years	Bachelors	$135,425	$142,440	44
		Masters	$136,298	$129,984	8
	15+ Years	Bachelors	$182,650	$187,127	5

Now you can see that for manufacturing, the benefits is not as prominent, while it is evident in aerospace. This makes sense, since Aerospace have very high specialization salary, for instance: hypersonic or eVtol which pays a ton for total compensation based on years of experience.
- Answer: if your company pays for your masters, do it, but it doesn't seem that beneficial near the end of your career.

Internships & Coops:

Key Insights:

The "Experienced" Majority: A combined 85% of respondents completed at least one internship or co-op. This underscores how critical early-career work experience has become for landing a full-time role in mechanical engineering.
Co-op Advantage: The 20% of respondents with "3+ Internships" often represent those in formal co-op programs (where students rotate between school and work over several years). These candidates typically command higher starting salaries shown in the table below:

Industry	0-1 Internship	2+ Internships	New Grad Premium
Aerospace & Defense	$82,000	$91,500	+$9,500
Manufacturing	$74,000	$82,000	+$8,000
MedTech	$80,500	$89,000	+$8,500

Certifications:

Here is the graph of a major certifications from the survey:

We always see a question on whether certifications are worth it:

Aerospace & Defense: Certification vs. Total Compensation

Experience	Education	Has Cert?	Median Unadj. Total	Median Adj. Total	Count
0-3 Years	Bachelors	No	$97,900	$95,426	41
		Yes	$95,040	$64,653	3
4-7 Years	Bachelors	No	$125,315	$106,672	36
		Yes	$128,580	$138,258	3
8-15 Years	Bachelors	No	$159,660	$139,839	31
		Yes	$280,425	$177,895	2
	Masters	No	$151,410	$142,043	13
		Yes	$209,658	$216,142	3

Manufacturing: Certification vs. Total Compensation

Experience	Education	Has Cert?	Median Unadj. Total	Median Adj. Total	Count
0-3 Years	Bachelors	No	$88,020	$91,944	43
		Yes	$90,450	$99,746	9
4-7 Years	Bachelors	No	$108,805	$106,615	36
		Yes	$108,992	$106,701	9
8-15 Years	Bachelors	No	$135,000	$136,541	31
		Yes	$136,000	$151,111	13
	Masters	No	$152,212	$122,728	6
		Yes	$134,815	$141,636	2

Key Findings:

High-Experience Premium in Aerospace: The most dramatic impact of certification appears in the mid-to-late career in Aerospace & Defense (8–15 years). Engineers with a Bachelors and a certification earn a median total compensation significantly higher than those without. Even among Masters holders in this range, certified engineers have a median total comp of $209k vs $151k for non-certified.
Manufacturing Stability: In the Manufacturing industry, certifications (often Six Sigma or FE/PE) lead to a very modest increase in un-adjusted base pay, but a more noticeable improvement in COL-adjusted pay. This suggests that certified engineers in Manufacturing may have more flexibility to find high-paying roles in lower-cost-of-living areas.
The "Entry-Level Paradox": For junior engineers (0–3 years), having a certification (likely the FE) does not immediately result in a salary premium. In fact, in Aerospace, the un-adjusted median for those with certifications was slightly lower, possibly because those engineers are still in entry-level rotation programs where pay is standardized regardless of credentials.
Masters + Certification: For those who already have a Masters, adding a certification provides a significant late-career boost (as seen in the 8–15 year group in Aerospace).

Answer: Certification can be worth it for select industries. PE is known for civil to open doors and increase pay.

Job Titles:

Job Role Category	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Mechanical Engineer (General)	229	38.9%
Design Engineer	97	16.5%
Project & Systems Engineer	59	10.0%
Management & Leadership	55	9.3%
Manufacturing & Process Engineer	54	9.2%
Specialized (Thermal, Stress, R&D)	34	5.8%
Other / Misc	61	10.4%

Key Insights:

General vs. Specialized: Nearly 40% of respondents identify with the broad title of "Mechanical Engineer," which often includes generalists or those in mid-level positions.
The Design Dominance: Design Engineering is the second largest single group, reflecting the high demand for CAD-based design and product development across aerospace, tech, and manufacturing industries.
Transition to Leadership: About 9% of respondents hold titles in Management & Leadership (Manager, Director, VP), which led to a higher salary
Project and Systems focus: 1 in 10 engineers focuses on Project or Systems Engineering, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary coordination and technical management in modern engineering projects.
The Specialty Niche: The "Specialized" category includes highly technical roles like Thermal Analysis, FEA, Simulation, and Research & Development, which often require higher educational levels or deep domain expertise.

Salary Grade vs. Salary:

Grade Level	Industry	Median Annual Salary	Typical Experience (YOE)	Sample Count
Level 1 (Entry)	Aerospace & Defense	$88,400	1.0 year	39
	Manufacturing	$80,250	2.0 years	39
Level 2 (Mid)	Aerospace & Defense	$102,273	3.8 years	48
	Manufacturing	$95,000	5.0 years	71
Level 3 (Senior)	Aerospace & Defense	$130,000	8.0 years	57
	Manufacturing	$119,600	9.0 years	50
Level 4 (Lead/Manager)	Aerospace & Defense	$170,500	11.0 years	22
	Manufacturing	$136,000	11.0 years	11
Level 5+ (Principal/Director)	Aerospace & Defense	$206,000	20.0 years	9
	Manufacturing	$136,500	14.0 years	4

Efficiency of Experience: In Aerospace, engineers tend to reach Level 2 and Level 3 roughly 1–1.2 years faster than those in Manufacturing, while also earning more.
The Level 4 Ceiling: In Manufacturing, the salary jump from Grade 3 to Grade 4 is roughly $16k, whereas in Aerospace, that same promotion yields a massive $40k jump in median base salary.

Which Industry Pays the Most?

Major Caveat: at 16+ YOE, the data points are only a couple, which skews the data upward.

Based on the comprehensive US survey data, the Technology (FANG, Robotics, AI, Consumer Electronics) industry emerges as the highest-paying sector for mechanical engineers when considering total compensation (Base Salary + Annual Bonus + 401k Match).

Tech Compensation Package:

Years of Experience	Avg. Total Comp (Unadjusted)	Avg. Total Comp (Adjusted for COL)	Number of Respondents
0-2 YOE (Entry)	$117,316	$100,292	7
3-5 YOE (Junior)	$180,854	$138,040	17
6-10 YOE (Mid-Level)	$182,773	$134,543	14
11-15 YOE (Senior)	$259,993	$220,256	11
16+ YOE (Principal)	$244,775	$177,043	5

The Oil and Gas industry stands out as the second most lucrative sectors for mechanical engineers, particularly as they reach senior and principal levels. While Tech offers the highest overall unadjusted compensation, Oil and Gas actually offers the highest Cost of Living (COL) Adjusted compensation, meaning your real purchasing power in this industry is the highest among all major sectors.

Years of Experience	Avg. Total Comp (Unadjusted)	Avg. Total Comp (COL Adjusted)	Number of Respondents
0-2 YOE	$95,864	$83,178	5
3-5 YOE	$117,289	$111,155	7
6-10 YOE	$138,959	$139,773	7
11-15 YOE	$204,097	$219,757	6
16+ YOE	$408,040	$399,276	3

Overtime Pay:

Industry Trends: Overtime pay is slightly more common in Manufacturing (where production deadlines are rigid) and Consulting/EPC (where hours are billable to clients) compared to R&D or Aerospace.

Work Hours:

Work Hours Category	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Exactly 40 Hours	337	57.2%
41-45 Hours	146	24.8%
46-50 Hours	49	8.3%
<40 Hours	50	8.5%
>50 Hours	7	1.2%

Key Observations:

The "40-Hour" Standard: Over half of the engineers surveyed manage to stick to a strict 40-hour week, which is a positive sign for work-life balance in the profession.
Moderate Overtime: Roughly a quarter of engineers work an extra 1 to 5 hours a week (41-45 hours total), often representing "straight time" or expected professional dedication without formal overtime pay.
The High-Hours Exception: Only a small fraction (under 10%) report working more than 45 hours consistently. This is significantly lower than in fields like investment banking or high-tier management consulting, suggesting a relatively stable lifestyle for most US mechanical engineers.
Flexibility: About 8.5% of respondents work fewer than 40 hours, which often aligns with part-time roles, senior consultants, or companies with flexible "9/80" schedules where some weeks are shorter.

401k Summary:

Match Rate Range	Count of Responses	Percentage
4% - 5%	211	35.8%
1% - 3%	125	21.2%
6% - 7%	120	20.4%
8% - 10%	65	11.0%
No Match (0%)	56	9.5%
> 10% / Other	12	2.0%

Key Takeaways:

The Industry Standard: A 4–5% match is clearly the most common benefit, covering over a third of the surveyed population.
High-Tier Benefits: Roughly 13% of engineers receive a match of 8% or higher, which often indicates highly competitive benefit packages in specialized industries.
Retirement Security: The low percentage of "No Match" responses (under 10%) highlights that retirement contributions are a standard and expected part of total compensation in the US mechanical engineering market.

Remote Work Distribution:

Remote Category	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Fully In-Person (0%)	248	42.1%
Mostly In-Person (1-39%)	163	27.7%
Hybrid (40-60%)	118	20.0%
Fully Remote (100%)	38	6.5%
Mostly Remote (61-99%)	22	3.7%

Key Insights:

The "Hands-On" Requirement: Over 40% of mechanical engineers are required to be in the office or on-site 100% of the time. This is significantly higher than other engineering fields like Software or Data Science.
The Hybrid Standard: Roughly 48% of the workforce has some form of hybrid flexibility (ranging from 1% to 60% remote). Many companies now allow 1–2 days of remote work for documentation, CAD modeling, or administrative tasks.
Fully Remote is Rare: Only 6.5% of mechanical engineers work fully remotely. These roles are typically in specialized areas like pure Simulation/FEA, Project Management, or Sales Engineering where physical hardware access is not required daily.
The Hybrid Middle Ground: The 40–60% range (often 2–3 days per week) is a common "sweet spot" for engineering firms trying to balance teamwork/lab time with employee flexibility.

Paid Time Off (Days):

*Note: one issue is many jobs had unlimited sick time, which I just added 10 days. Next time I will edit the form to separate the sick days so it makes more sense.

PTO Category (Includes Sick Days)	Number of Respondents	Percentage
0–10 days	30	5.2%
11–15 days	112	19.5%
16–20 days	160	27.9%
21–25 days	100	17.4%
26–30 days	61	10.6%
31+ days	32	5.6%
Unlimited	78	13.6%

Key Insights:

The " 3 - 5 Week" Benchmark: The majority of mechanical engineers (over 45%) receive between 16 and 25 days of PTO.
The Rise of Unlimited PTO: About 13.6% of respondents now have "Unlimited" PTO.
Generous Packages: Roughly 16% of engineers receive more than 30 days of PTO, which is often a hallmark of high-seniority roles, government/defense positions, or companies that reward long tenure.
The Lean End: Only about 5% of respondents are on the low end with 10 days or fewer, suggesting that a minimum of two weeks of PTO is a standard baseline for the industry.

Now some of you might have questions regarding years of experience and PTO:

Average PTO by Experience (Fixed PTO)

Experience Level	Average PTO Days (per year)	Typical Range (25th-75th Percentile)
0–2 Years	16.9	10–15 days
3–5 Years	19.6	15–20 days
6–10 Years	21.1	20 days
11–15 Years	24.5	20–25 days
16+ Years	26.5	25–30+ days

Analysis of the Trend:

The "Standard Jump": Many engineers start with 15 days (3 weeks) and see their first significant "tenure bump" to 20 days (4 weeks) after reaching the 5-year mark.
Senior Perks: By the time an engineer hits 15+ years of experience, a 5-week (25-day) or 6-week (30-day) PTO package becomes the new baseline.
Job Hopping Factor: The data suggests that while tenure within a single company increases PTO, "job hopping" every 3–5 years also allows engineers to negotiate higher starting PTO tiers at their new employers, effectively "skipping" the long wait for tenure-based increases.

Health Insurance:

Satisfaction Level	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Free / Excellent	38	6.5%
Good (Low Premium/High Coverage)	211	36.3%
Average	288	49.5%
Poor (High Premium/Low Coverage)	41	7.0%
Other / Misc	4	0.7%

Key Insights:

The "Standard" Plan: Almost 50% of engineers describe their insurance as "Average," highlighting that standard employer-sponsored health insurance is common but not particularly outstanding in terms of premiums or coverage levels.
Competitive Benefits: Over 42% of respondents fall into the "Good" or "Free" categories. The 6.5% who receive "Free/Excellent" coverage likely work for highly competitive tech firms, established defense contractors, or companies that use premium benefits as a retention tool.
Under-Served Minority: Roughly 7% of the engineering workforce feels their health insurance is "Poor," usually characterized by high out-of-pocket costs and high monthly premiums.

Biggest Cons for Mechanical Engineering:

Category	Typical Concerns Mentioned
Workload & Hours (112 mentions)	High pressure, tight deadlines, long hours, and poor work-life balance. Many mentioned "start-up energy" even in established firms.
Salary & Compensation (73 mentions)	Low raises (2–3%), "salary plateauing" early in the career, and the absence of stock options or significant bonuses compared to tech.
Remote Work Limits (47 mentions)	Frequent requirements to be in the office or on the manufacturing floor with "no remote option" or "No WFH" (Work From Home) policies.
Career Growth (35 mentions)	Concerns about "pigeon-holing," slow internal promotion tracks, and becoming "stagnant" in one technical area.
Red Tape & Bureaucracy (26 mentions)	Excessive paperwork, slow corporate processes, "red tape," and inefficient management systems.

Biggest Pros for Mechanical Engineering:

Category	Typical Benefits Mentioned
Salary & Comp (86 mentions)	Competitive base pay, annual bonuses, and strong 401k matching programs.
Work-Life Balance (75 mentions)	Flexible schedules, reasonable working hours (standard 40h), and generous PTO.
Culture & People (70 mentions)	Great teammates, supportive management, and a collaborative "team-first" environment.
Interesting Work (65 mentions)	Designing "cool" products, working on challenging technical problems, and having a clear mission.
Job Stability (28 mentions)	Long-term security, consistent demand for the role, and the stability of established firms.
Remote/Hybrid (27 mentions)	The ability to work from home part-time or have flexible geographic location.

Direct Insights from Engineers:

On Work Quality: "The actual work we do is really interesting, fun, and rewarding. Getting to see a design go from CAD to a physical product is the best part."
On Culture: "Great coworkers and a team environment where people actually mentor you instead of just giving you tasks."
On Flexibility: "Remote flexibility and a management team that trusts you to get your work done without micromanaging your hours."
On Compensation: "The total compensation package—including the 401k match and the annual bonus—makes the technical pressure worth it."

Now for Improvements on Suggestions on the Survey:

Regarding the COL instructions: totally my fault, sorry for not catching it. All of you were able to figure it out, but changed instructions from 0 - 2, so it makes a lot more sense now.
Adding a column for manager and IC: totally good suggestion, already added to new survey for 2027
Regarding adding gender or age: I will not add this into the survey just to make it more anonymous. I really do not see the value in this data, and I recommend just using government data to find the data.
Regarding the health insurance question: I have implemented the change on making it have three questions: annual premium, annual deductible, person coverage. I really did not want to make this part too complicated with max out of pocket and copay and etc. I think the premium, coverage and deductible is acceptable amount.
Edited the salary section to organize the % 401k match, salary, bonus, RSU to be in the same section making it easier, but separated the questions.

Comparison from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Reddit Survey Results will be in another post, since this post is getting insanely long. Again, any other improvements or suggestions, please just comment below.

TDLR: Just check the 1st salary graph if you want the main results.

64 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Zealousideal-One-529 • 1d ago

Corporate work vs Freelancing

2.4k Upvotes

~~Weaklings~~ Short version:

25yo mech engineering grad in Brazil. Love the math/theoretical/CAE side, hate repetitive CAD/BOM corporate tasks. Scared freelancing will only yield simple low-end projects without heavy experience. Not a fan of academic research. Looking for career path advice.

_______________________________________

Recently, I decided that I’m willing to give up higher compensation if it means doing work I actually enjoy.

I graduated from a top-tier public university in Brazil with one of the best academic performances in my class, and I'm currently interning in R&D at a solid company.

I have a strong passion and aptitude for the theoretical and mathematical sides of engineering. However, I have zero interest in sitting for public civil service exams, becoming a professor, or grinding away in academia just to "publish papers."
On the other hand, I really dislike the corporate world. I feel like I'm just another cog in the machine and that my work barely matters. On top of that, it gets extremely tedious just clicking around in CAD, checking if a "part fits," preparing BOMs, documenting, and sending files off to manufacturing.

At most, I look through supplier catalogs to select a component, do some GD&T stack-up analysis, or use some creativity to design sheet metal, welded assemblies, or machined parts following DFM/DFA best practices. That’s the most "technical" part of the job. Still, in my view, it demands very little deep study, conceptual understanding, or advanced knowledge.

Other than that, at most I might do a simple beam or fluid flow calculation.

What I actually enjoy is the creative and mathematical side of design—tasks that require study, thorough preparation, and deep conceptual thinking. Things that not just anyone can do, where you actually have to dive into equations or complex concepts to get the design right.

I thought about going full freelance/independent consultant, but I feel like I would just be swapping a boss for a client. Sure, I’d have more flexibility and a stronger sense of ownership over my work, but the projects would likely remain simple. I doubt I'd get to do high-complexity analysis unless the client is from a high-risk, high-value industry like Oil & Gas, Naval, Aerospace, or Defense. And let’s be honest: those companies only hire contractors with years of experience, not a fresh graduate like me.

I feel stuck. Staying corporate means going to the same place, seeing the same people, and doing the same repetitive tasks with little recognition or sense of purpose.

Going freelance gives me flexibility, but leaves me with simple projects and the financial instability of running my own business.

I don't know. I’d love to hear your thoughts or learn from anyone who has been in a similar position

62 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Voltshift773 • 8h ago

Are technician jobs a good way to get into engineering?

36 Upvotes

I just interviewed for a manufacturing technician job and they're aware that I'm trying to get a job as an actual engineer but they still seem on board with me. Are technician jobs a good stepping stone to get into engineering? Or should I just keep searching for a job that I actually want?

I should probably also add that I do have a degree.

30 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Catamituz • 6h ago

Im tired, boss.

25 Upvotes

7 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Low_Put2605 • 1h ago

Mechanical Design Engineer I New Job

• Upvotes

Hey all,

I am a recent mechE graduate (May 2026) and I recently got a job offer at a big aerospace company for a level I mechanical design engineering position. Some of the qualifications for the job was someone with experience in a CAD software, experience with design teams (such as rocketry, DBF, Baja, etc.), and preferred experience with machining techniques either use of lathes, mills, cnc, and 3D printing. The description mentioned complex assemblies, design reviews, 3D parametric modeling, trade studies, 2D engineering drawings generation, etc

I have had experience using SolidWorks and a little bit of Siemens NX. The company uses Creo for which I have never used before, and even the interviewer told me that even them never used it before being in the company, and I will be taught how to use it.

I know this is a level I role and I am not expected to be an expert on anything. But should I brush my CAD skills before my start date which is a month from now? Should I start getting hands on work on Creo?

Are the skills and experience more through on-the-job experience? Rather than them already expecting you to know how to do certain tasks?

3 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Initial_Sale_8471 • 8h ago

How to model and define drawing for impeller blade?

18 Upvotes

Need advice on reverse engineering this component.

Defining the part?

I could just say "refer to the model" for drawing, and send it out for casting.

However, this part is ~50 years old. CAD did not exist back then, so there must be a less vague way to define it in drawing. Whether it's better than the former option, I don't know.

Either way, inspection is likely to be complicated.

How should I model it (from a 3D scan)?

The object is organic, so it's hard to do with splines and curves. I'd lean towards mesh/form modelling for the fin.

Any insight would be appreciated. (I have permission to post these screenshots)

11 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Regular_Trouble_5841 • 16h ago

Why did Curiosity’s wheels crack? 458 Ansys runs (dataset available) + an ML surrogate model leading to perseverance's design

gallery

54 Upvotes

Everything is open (code MIT, data/CAD/reports CC BY 4.0): https://github.com/Shass27/curiosity-perseverance-wheel-fea

We're a team of four engineering students, and we've been looking at the wheel-skin damage on NASA/JPL's Curiosity rover as project for our Solid Mechanics course: the thin aluminium skin cracked and punctured on sharp rocks. Perseverance went to a thicker skin and a different grouser pattern, so we tried to put numbers on how much that actually helps and a develop a surrogate fea model for academic purposes

What we did

Hand calc vs FEA: a flat skin segment between two grousers, modelled as a fixed stepped beam with a Peterson Kt, compared against an Ansys solid model along a surface path.
Batch FEA: 458 linear-static Ansys 2025 R1 cases on a curved R250 wheel panel (Al 7075-T7351, ends fixed). The rock is a 300 N pressure load on a circular patch. We swept 5 grouser patterns, 2 skin thicknesses (2 / 7.5 mm), 3 grouser angles, 3 fillet radii and 5 patch radii. The whole batch was driven by a Workbench journal script.
ML surrogate: each stress/strain field is gridded onto a common map, compressed with PCA (40 modes) and learnt with Gaussian-process regression, plus a separate GP for the peak value with a 95% band. It's wrapped in a MATLAB GUI that shows the nearest real FEA case side by side.

Results

Full write-ups: Failure analysis (PDF) · Surrogate model (PDF)
ML model: on fully unseen geometries, 3.1% median peak-stress error, R² = 0.993, and 94% coverage by the 95% band.
GUI: pick a feature, thickness, angle, fillet, rock size and load, and it shows the predicted stress/strain maps next to the nearest real FEA case. Every input is flagged as sampled, interpolated or out of range. It warns at the fatigue limit, failure strain and yield, and exports the predicted field in the same format as the Ansys output.

Why we're posting

We'd like to write this up as a paper, and we'd value any critique before we do: modelling assumptions, what a reviewer would attack first, missing validation, or whether the surrogate approach is reasonable for ~440 cases. Feel free to criticise or give feedback

Everything is open (code MIT, data/CAD/reports CC BY 4.0): https://github.com/Shass27/curiosity-perseverance-wheel-fea

Both reports are linked as PDFs in the README.

19 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/zombiemakron • 1d ago

Just a rant: I hate how it's widely perceived that the key to being an engineer is to be good at CAD. Rarely, do I EVER see anyone talk about the design process, requirements, thermal, stress, statics, dynamics, etc. Rant over :)

192 Upvotes

105 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Even_Owl_2632 • 12h ago

Mechatronics or mechanical

15 Upvotes

Mechanical Engineering or Mechatronics at HAW Hamburg. Is switching worth it?
Hey everyone!
I am now in my semester of Mechanical Engineering at HAW Hamburg. I study in German. I am 20 years old. I moved abroad after finishing high school in my home country. I have met the C1 requirement for admission.
I originally wanted to study Mechatronics. However I forgot the B1 requirement and I missed the chance to take an accepted English exam, such as TOEFL or IELTS before the enrollment deadline.
Now that the semester has begun I have acknowledged that I cannot switch to Mechatronics until the next winter semester. That would mean spending one year in Mechanical Engineering before changing majors. Both bachelor’s programs last seven semesters.
From what I understand I could have about 7 of 10 courses recognized if I switch even though some of those courses belong to the fourth semester of Mechatronics.(and i'll be late simultaneously in some courses in the first 2 semesters). I still need to take an exam before applying to switch.
I am now trying to decide if switching is worth it in the run.
I do not dislike Mechanical Engineering. I could see myself staying in it. However I am interested in Mechatronics because it combines engineering, electronics, control systems and automation.
I have also thought about finishing my bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and then doing a master’s in Mechatronics or a related field. I am not sure how realistic that path would be or whether it would put me at a disadvantage compared with someone who has a bachelor’s in Mechatronics.
Another thing I have been thinking about is the job market. Mechanical Engineering attracts students and this sometimes makes me wonder about competition and job opportunities. I know that popularity does not always mean career prospects but it is still something I think about.
So I would really appreciate your opinions, from people who have studied or worked in either field:
1. Career prospects: Does Mechatronics offer an advantage over Mechanical Engineering in terms of job opportunities, salary or future demand?
2. Bachelor’s vs. Master’s: Would it make sense to finish Mechanical Engineering and specialize in Mechatronics later. Is having a bachelor’s in Mechatronics a meaningful advantage?
3. Switching majors: If you were in my position would you switch winter semester even if it meant potentially extending your studies?
4. Long-term flexibility: Which degree gives you flexibility to work in different engineering fields especially with the increasing importance of automation and robotics?
I just want to hear experiences and perspectives from people who know more, about these fields.
Since I am 20 I do not mind spending an extra semester or two if it truly helps me in the long run. At the time I do not want to switch just because I think one degree has better prospects without knowing the real differences.
Thank you in advance for any advice!

5 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/grosserwolf • 6h ago

31-year-old Mechanical Engineer: Is it realistic to switch to CFD/Aerodynamics?

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I'm a 31-year-old mechanical engineer with several years of experience in Oil & Gas (Project Engineer), Tool Installation (Team Lead), and currently BIM (Technical Expert / Mechanical Piping Modeler).

My dream has always been to work in automotive or aerospace engineering, especially in design and aerodynamics. However, career opportunities led me elsewhere, as these fields are almost nonexistent in my country due to the lack of R&D.

Now that I've graduated, I'm considering pursuing a Master's in Computational Mechanical Design in Europe to transition into CFD, aerodynamics, or mechanical design.

My question is: Is this a realistic career move at 31, with no professional experience in CFD or design? Would my previous engineering experience be valuable, or would I essentially be starting from scratch?

Thanks for your time!

3 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Arayvin1 • 7h ago

How important are side projects / learning coding languages?

3 Upvotes

I am in my junior year of my Mechanical Engineering degree (US student) and a lot of my friends are starting side projects, learning how to code, and learning to use programs like solidworks. I haven’t done any of these. But I haven’t just been lazy, I have been working 40-50 hours a week the entire time I’ve been at school. Ive worked at SwRI as a technician for over four years now and I have gained so much knowledge about chillers, compressors, boilers, instrumentation, calibrating instrumentation, taking apart engines / building engines, troubleshooting control systems, taking apart and rebuilding heat exchangers, fabrication/plumbing etc.

My justification for not learning coding or having side projects is for one, I just don’t have time with my work schedule and full time school, and two, I feel like I have so many important skills that can make me more attractive to be hired when I finish my degree. Will I be okay if I don’t learn much coding/CAD or do side projects?

5 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/TotalOk2983 • 7h ago

ICT and Network Engineering vs Mechanical Engineering

4 Upvotes

I'm currently studying ICT and Network Engineering, but I'm considering switching to Mechanical Engineering. Which degree has better career prospects, higher earning potential, and a stronger future? I'd appreciate honest opinions from people with experience in either field. Thanks!

0 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/-SnoopDoge- • 4h ago

Check valve design advice

2 Upvotes

I recently started a new job with a company that manufactures clean drinking water products. Right now I'm going through and evaluating the specs and design of several check valves, specifically, in-line, spring loaded, poppet style check valves. This is a new industry for me so I've been trying to reference as many published standards as possible. The main thing I'm stuck on right now is the wall thickness of the valve body. I'm hoping someone can give me some advice or direction on where to look and how to move forward.

Our smaller valves are rated up to 400psi while our larger valves are rated up to 600psi, all valves have a max operating temp of 190°F. Since our products are for drinking water the valve body material we're using is a lead free bronze, C89833. Originally I was looking through ASME B16.34 at its wall thickness tables but that standard doesn't include copper based alloys. Howeve, it does list some equations for determining wall thickness. I started looking at MSS SP-80 for bronze check valves but they don't list specific wall thicknesses or any equations. Would the equations from ASME B16.34 apply to alternate materials with the correct values for things like yield strength?

There doesn't seem to be too much info out there for the specific type of check valve and in the material we manufacture. Is there anyone that might have similar industry experience or general advice? Any help would be much appreciated!

3 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Serious-Emu-2735 • 5h ago

Flowserve Application Engineer Interview

2 Upvotes

0 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Local_Persimmon8313 • 5h ago

Moving from CNC/CAM into Mechanical Design in Sweden am I ready?

2 Upvotes

I’m looking for some advice from people who work as mechanical designers/engineers, especially those who have made a similar transition.After high school, I went directly into working instead of going to university. I now have around 5 years of experience as a Technical Designer in Italy, where I designed metallic building structures from scratch using SolidWorks.I also worked with PDM/PLM systems and was responsible for things like 3D modelling, assemblies, drawings, BOMs, production documentation, and solving technical problems.Since I didn’t go to university, I always felt that I had to work harder to teach myself as much as possible. I learned a lot through experience rather than through formal education.Eventually, I moved to Stockholm, Sweden. I quickly discovered that finding a CAD/Mechanical Design job without a university degree and without being fluent in Swedish was very difficult.I decided to move into CNC/CAM programming and manufacturing. I thought it would be a good way to strengthen my understanding of how parts are actually manufactured.For the last 2.5 years, I’ve been working with CNC milling and CAM programming, mainly using Fusion 360.Honestly, I’ve learned an incredible amount during this time. CNC taught me a completely different side of mechanics and manufacturing.I’ve learned about machining strategies, tooling, workholding, feeds and speeds, material behaviour, tolerances, and what actually makes a part manufacturable.I currently make fairly complex aluminium parts, including 5083/6082, with very tight tolerances. I’ve become one of the more trusted people in the company for difficult parts and manufacturing problems.However, I’ve realised that the workshop environment isn’t where I want to stay long-term.So I decided to move forward and have accepted a position as a Mechanical Designer.And this is where my concern starts.I know I have a lot of useful experience, but I also know there are things I don't know yet.For example, I understand GD&T concepts and the symbols, but I haven't had much practical experience applying GD&T to mechanical drawings. I don't always know why a particular tolerance should be 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, etc., or when something should have perpendicularity, position, flatness, profile, etc.I'm hoping to learn these things properly in the new company.My biggest concern is the first 6 months. I really want to prove that I’m good enough and pass the probation period.I’m not expecting to know everything from day one. I’m prepared to ask questions, learn from the engineers around me, study in my free time and put in the work.But I’m wondering:For people who work as mechanical designers, does my background sound like a reasonable foundation for the role?How much would you expect a new mechanical designer to know independently when starting?And especially for those who moved from manufacturing/CNC into mechanical design:What were the biggest things you had to learn when making the transition?I’d really appreciate honest opinions even if there are things you think I should work on before starting.

Thank you

1 comment

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Local_Persimmon8313 • 5h ago

Moving from CNC/CAM into Mechanical Design in Sweden am I ready?

2 Upvotes

I’m looking for some advice from people who work as mechanical designers/engineers, especially those who have made a similar transition.

After high school, I went directly into working instead of going to university. I now have around 5 years of experience as a Technical Designer in Italy, where I designed metallic building structures from scratch using SolidWorks.

I also worked with PDM/PLM systems and was responsible for things like 3D modelling, assemblies, drawings, BOMs, production documentation, and solving technical problems.

Since I didn’t go to university, I always felt that I had to work harder to teach myself as much as possible. I learned a lot through experience rather than through formal education.

Eventually, I moved to Stockholm, Sweden. I quickly discovered that finding a CAD/Mechanical Design job without a university degree and without being fluent in Swedish was very difficult.

So I made a plan

I decided to move into CNC/CAM programming and manufacturing. I thought it would be a good way to strengthen my understanding of how parts are actually manufactured.

For the last 2.5 years, I’ve been working with CNC milling and CAM programming, mainly using Fusion 360.

Honestly, I’ve learned an incredible amount during this time. CNC taught me a completely different side of mechanics and manufacturing.

I’ve learned about machining strategies, tooling, workholding, feeds and speeds, material behaviour, tolerances, and what actually makes a part manufacturable.

I currently make fairly complex aluminium parts, including 5083/6082, with very tight tolerances. I’ve become one of the more trusted people in the company for difficult parts and manufacturing problems.

However, I’ve realised that the workshop environment isn’t where I want to stay long-term.

So I decided to move forward and have accepted a position as a Mechanical Designer.

And this is where my concern starts.

I know I have a lot of useful experience, but I also know there are things I don't know yet.

For example, I understand GD&T concepts and the symbols, but I haven't had much practical experience applying GD&T to mechanical drawings. I don't always know why a particular tolerance should be 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, etc., or when something should have perpendicularity, position, flatness, profile, etc.

I'm hoping to learn these things properly in the new company.

My biggest concern is the first 6 months. I really want to prove that I’m good enough and pass the probation period.

I’m not expecting to know everything from day one. I’m prepared to ask questions, learn from the engineers around me, study in my free time and put in the work.

But I’m wondering:

For people who work as mechanical designers, does my background sound like a reasonable foundation for the role?

How much would you expect a new mechanical designer to know independently when starting?

And especially for those who moved from manufacturing/CNC into mechanical design:

What were the biggest things you had to learn when making the transition?

I’d really appreciate honest opinions even if there are things you think I should work on before starting.

Thank you

3 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/ALiteralGarbanzoBean • 9h ago

Engineering Philosophy Towards Developing New Technologies

3 Upvotes

How do you determine whether developing something new is beneficial or detrimental as it replaces something important to humanity?

I am starting to develop a mindset of "growth for growth's sake is not sustainable" and I want to contribute my skills as a soon-to-graduate mechanical engineer towards the ultimate benefit of society, not the eventual downfall.

I feel like it is in our nature to want to optimize and create efficient systems for our daily tasks in life, and I feel like the increasing quality of life/change in daily living keeps "raising the bar" for what is okay to be outsourced to new machines or tools. I've heard that the place for automation is in dirty, dangerous, and repetitive work which has saved lots of lives and lead others to find more personally fulfilling work. But at what point do the things that we design create a loss of jobs or remove the cognitive friction of thinking and learning that allows us to grow and feel fulfilled?

For example, watching a grocery store cashier stare across an aisle at the 8 self-checkout machines that replace them, or over-the-phone customer service agents being replaced by A.I. feels like an anti-human experience to me. Whereas I'm not complaining about having electric heaters in my home or a bicycle to get me around. (You could say "what about the people who cut wood and make furnaces" or "people don't ride horses anymore" which could be seen as valid critiques about the things I'm not complaining about. But why don't we complain about them anymore? Have we just crossed a threshold of innovation that is so profound we don't look backwards anymore? These examples are just the first few that popped in my head, but I feel like this train of thinking can be applied to almost everything)

This and it is not an attack about any specific pieces of technology (okay maybe a few), but rather me wanting to think broadly about the development of new things. Additionally, for this question I'm neglecting the whole military/weapons sector. I simply want to know if anybody has a path of thinking that helps them determine if it is worth developing something new or not. This is a partially a critique on modern capitalism and corporate greed. But at the same time, also just me asking, how and when do we acknowledge that we have great technologies already? I want to create work that improves human experience and user satisfaction but I'm starting to feel stuck in this cycle of thought. Should I just try and focus on improving the quality/longevity/user experience of current products that are already useful?

Any ideas/criticisms/advice/questions about this are welcome, but I just wanted to ask this community as it's been on my mind a lot.

4 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Forsaken-Berry-9781 • 4h ago

Drawings duplicates and reviews

1 Upvotes

Hi Folks,
I worked in the same company as senior mechancial designer for more than 10 years, company hired two new graduate students to copy and study my previous design drawings and ask me to verifiy their new designs. Also ask me to documentry the design ideas and some parameters. God knows I am not happy with that. There is no sign that there is any promotion or leadership positions transfered.
Would like to hear you guys opinions ? Thanks
FYI Background ( The company I worked for was an old school private business for decades, jobs were secure, since it goes to public and new MBA groups take over the management dept, start to lay off people every one or two years)

8 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Live_Love-Life • 8h ago

Technical Boooks

2 Upvotes

My high school drafting shop book. Printed 1968. This text book brings back memories. Thank you Mr Baldwin, Mastbaum Vo-Tech Highschool, Philadelphia PA.

Does anyone have thiers?

0 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Local_Persimmon8313 • 5h ago

Moving from CNC/CAM into Mechanical Design in Sweden am I ready?

1 Upvotes

0 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/EnvironmentalPart837 • 12h ago

Where do you go when you need a specialist technical answer?

2 Upvotes

If you encounter a technical question outside your expertise that online searches or AI tools can't reliably resolve, how do you get an answer?

Have you ever needed to consult a specialist directly?

6 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/iamA7mad • 6h ago

Can a Mechanical power engineer work in aircraft and jet engine fields , and how ??

1 Upvotes

2 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Life-is-beautiful28 • 7h ago

Applied Materials Mechanical Engineer NCG – What to Expect in the Online Assessment?

1 Upvotes

0 comments

r/MechanicalEngineering • u/liberty_grimes • 1d ago

What is it really like having a Mechanical Engineering Job?

35 Upvotes

I was thinking at one point to become a Mechanical Engineer as I love cars and machines. But I have heard that the actual ME jobs aren’t as glamorous as they appear on TV (aka becoming Tony Stark and the like), so I am curious on what it is truly like being a ME out in the field. Please tell me all the dirty and less glamorous details of doing the job that are not often talked about in public. I want to know so that I can be aware of what I would be going into if I do go down this path. Thank you!

175 comments