How to hire mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze test results in relation to design or rated specifications and test objectives, and modify or adjust equipment to meet specifications. • Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems. • Calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval. • Draft detail drawing or sketch for drafting room completion or to request parts fabrication by machine, sheet or wood shops. • Interpret engineering sketches, specifications, or drawings. • Provide technical support to other employees regarding mechanical design, fabrication, testing, or documentation. • Review project instructions and blueprints to ascertain test specifications, procedures, and objectives, and test nature of technical problems such as redesign. • Test machines, components, materials, or products to determine characteristics such as performance, strength, or response to stress. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Associate's degree] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, speaking, writing and mathematics skills • Working knowledge of engineering and technology, mechanical, computers and electronics and design • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $35.82 an hour ($74,510 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze test results in relation to design or rated specifications and test objectives, and modify or adjust equipment to meet specifications. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to draft detail drawing or sketch for drafting room completion or to request parts fabrication by machine, sheet or wood shops. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What mechanical engineering technologists and technicians do
- Analyze test results in relation to design or rated specifications and test objectives, and modify or adjust equipment to meet specifications.
- Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems.
- Calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval.
- Draft detail drawing or sketch for drafting room completion or to request parts fabrication by machine, sheet or wood shops.
- Interpret engineering sketches, specifications, or drawings.
- Provide technical support to other employees regarding mechanical design, fabrication, testing, or documentation.
- Review project instructions and blueprints to ascertain test specifications, procedures, and objectives, and test nature of technical problems such as redesign.
- Test machines, components, materials, or products to determine characteristics such as performance, strength, or response to stress.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Typical education to start: Associate's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +1.3% over ten years, little or no change · about 3,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Missouri | $92,150 |
| California | $87,390 |
| Washington | $79,410 |
| Maryland | $79,180 |
| Ohio | $78,500 |
| Tennessee | $62,270 |
| Utah | $61,870 |
| Florida | $59,720 |
See mechanical engineering technologists and technicians pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.