Mechanical engineering is the most popular undergraduate engineering major in the United States, producing around 35,000 bachelor’s degrees every year, roughly a quarter of all engineering graduates (ASME, 2025; ASEE, 2019). The problem is that the jobs do not exist to match the diplomas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 19,800 job openings for mechanical engineers are projected each year, and that figure includes replacements for retirees and career changers, not just newly created positions (Penn State, 2025). In plain terms, the country is minting nearly two mechanical engineers for every available job.
This imbalance defines the profession. Oversupply means employers can afford to be picky. They post “entry-level” jobs requiring three years of experience, they demand unpaid technical assessments, and they can discard candidates after multiple rounds of interviews because another stack of résumés is waiting. The outcome is not just fewer opportunities but worse opportunities. Many of the positions that do exist are technician jobs rebranded with the word “engineer,” offering low pay and little chance for advancement.
Other engineering fields do not suffer nearly as much from this imbalance. Industrial engineering is projected to add about 40,900 new jobs between 2023 and 2033, making it the fastest-growing core discipline. Electrical and electronics engineering will add about 26,200 jobs with a nine percent growth rate. Software engineering dwarfs them all with projected growth of 17 percent and job creation that far outpaces mechanical engineering (BLS, 2024; OnlineEngineeringPrograms, 2025). Mechanical engineering, by comparison, ekes out an 11 percent growth rate, most of it replacements, not new opportunities.
Graduates are left with a simple reality: far too many degrees are chasing far too few jobs. The prestige outsiders imagine is an illusion. Inside the profession, oversaturation strips mechanical engineers of leverage, depresses salaries, and blocks advancement. Mechanical engineering is not the gateway to opportunity that glossy brochures promise. It is a crowded line for a shrinking pool of jobs, where your degree guarantees only that you will have to compete harder for less.
References:
American Society for Engineering Education. (2023, October). Engineering and engineering technology by the numbers 2023. https://ira.asee.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Engineering-Engineering-Technology-By-the-Numbers-2023-27-October-2024.pdfOnlineEngineeringPrograms.com. (2025, June 13). What are the fastest-growing fields in engineering in 2025? https://www.onlineengineeringprograms.com/faq/fastest-growing-engineering-fields
