What can you do with a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of Arizona?

First, some facts. Of the Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of Arizona we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:


These are estimates based on AI analysis of 19 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Significantly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 85%, Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of Arizona have a much higher likelihood (+18%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 85%
Average relevance score across all fields: 67%

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

× Chart

Also, after graduating, only 15% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests a Bachelors degree is enough for most Mechanical Engineering graduates, and it's normal to look for work straight after graduation.

See the details:

View a random Mechanical Engineering graduate from University of Arizona and our analysis:


Relevance score: 92%

We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree.

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2013 from University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Field Engineer
Schlumberger
Oct 2013 - Jun 2015
As a Field Engineer at Schlumberger, the role may indirectly utilize mechanical engineering principles, but it primarily focuses on oil field operations rather than core engineering qualifications.

PV Designer II
SolarCity
Jun 2015 - Jun 2017
The position of PV Designer II at SolarCity directly applies mechanical engineering knowledge to design solar systems, thus aligning closely with the skills acquired in the bachelor's program.

Design Engineer
Electrical Consultants, Inc.
Jun 2017 - Dec 2022
As a Design Engineer at Electrical Consultants, Inc., this job heavily relies on mechanical engineering principles and problem-solving skills developed during the bachelor's degree.

Associate Engineer
Electrical Consultants, Inc.
Jan 2023 - Present
The Associate Engineer role at Electrical Consultants, Inc. also utilizes mechanical engineering knowledge and skills, making it directly relevant to the bachelor's degree.

ABOUT

I am currently working as an Associate Engineer with ECI. I am proficient in many aspects of overhead transmission line design including but not limited to structural and foundation design, alignment development, ROW and easement acquisition support, and ampacity analysis and conductor sizing, I have worked on multiple different project types including greenfield gen-tie lines in rural areas and brownfield system upgrades in congested cities. My experience also includes underground to overhead transmission line design and overhead distribution design. I also have project management experience including schedule and budget management, client communications, and reporting duties.I joined SolarCity's residential engineering department to continue my career in the energy industry. With SolarCity I design a high-volume of residential PV systems nationwide based on the homeowner's needs. This involves evaluating the home's structure and existing electrical equipment for PV compatibility to design a system that is up to code and meets the requirements of the various authorities having jurisdiction. Shortly before leaving SolarCity, the company was purchased by Tesla.After graduating I worked at Schlumberger as a Field Engineer in their cased hole wireline segment. At Schlumberger I managed a wireline crew while performing various cased hole logging and casing-perforation services.I graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics.

What jobs can you get with a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of Arizona?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:


After taking a look at the jobs held by graduates from the University of Arizona who studied Mechanical Engineering, it's clear that many of them have ended up in roles that are pretty relevant to their degree. The most common positions seem to be related to manufacturing engineering, design engineering, and roles at well-known companies like Raytheon and Honeywell. These jobs involve applying mechanical engineering principles daily, such as designing products, working on manufacturing processes, or overseeing engineering projects. Internships early in their careers often serve as a launchpad to these more specialized roles, helping them gain experience that directly ties back to their studies.

However, it’s not all about engineering—there are some positions that don’t really connect to mechanical engineering at all. For instance, roles like a Kitchen Assistant, Property Manager, or even a Game Analyst show that not every graduate sticks to an engineering path. While a few jobs involve transferable skills like project management or problem-solving, they lack the specific engineering focus most graduates would expect from their training. Overall, though, if you look at the big picture, a significant number of these graduates are landing jobs straight in their field, making good use of their mechanical engineering background.

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Mechanical Engineering graduates (this is across all Mechanical Engineering graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to University of Arizona):

What kind of career trajectories do Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of Arizona have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

If we take a look at the career paths of graduates from the University of Arizona with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, it seems like many of them are landing solid jobs right after college, especially in industries that are closely related to their field. For instance, a lot of those who graduated around 2010 to 2015 started off as Manufacturing Engineers or in positions with a focus on new product development. Over the years, a good number of them have moved up to senior roles or specialties, like design or product engineering, particularly in large companies like Howmet Aerospace and Raytheon. This suggests that the foundation they got from their education is propelling them into strong career trajectories, with many staying in engineering roles and making upward moves in responsibility and expertise.

However, not everyone following this path has had a perfectly linear career. There are some graduates whose first jobs aren't directly related to mechanical engineering, like those who transitioned to roles in real estate or construction. This could be a sign that while some find their niche right away, others might be exploring different opportunities before settling into a career that truly aligns with their engineering background. Five to ten years down the line, the focus seems to shift back to more technical roles for many, as they leverage their degrees to get into established engineering positions, while others might find success in adjacent fields. Overall, while there's a mix of experiences, a good number are carving out rewarding careers in engineering, which is encouraging for anyone considering this path.

How hard is a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of Arizona?

Honestly, a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering can be pretty challenging, and this goes for the University of Arizona or pretty much any school that offers it. You'll be diving into a lot of math, physics, and complex problem-solving, which can be tough if those aren’t your favorite subjects. Classes can get intense, especially during projects and labs where you have to actually apply what you’ve learned. It’s definitely a step up from high school, so you’ll need to be ready to put in a good amount of effort and time. That said, if you’re really into engineering and willing to grind through the tough spots, it's totally doable!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Do Mechanical Engineering graduates from University of Arizona tend to make good money?

From what I can see, it looks like the Mechanical Engineering grads from the University of Arizona are doing pretty well for themselves in the job market. Many of them landed roles in reputable companies like Raytheon, Honeywell, and Caterpillar, which usually suggests decent salaries and benefits. Positions like Senior Engineers or Product Engineers often come with good pay, especially as they level up over time, moving from lower roles to more senior ones. While we can’t pinpoint exact salaries, their job trajectories suggest they are on a path to making solid money, especially considering engineering tends to pay well overall. So yeah, it seems like they’re doing alright!

What buzzwords do Mechanical Engineering graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering (this is across all Mechanical Engineering graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to University of Arizona). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for Mechanical Engineering?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering (ordered by the average relevance score of their Mechanical Engineering graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College Score Count
North Dakota State University 95 20
University of Tennessee, Knoxville 94 12
University of Michigan-Dearborn 94 11
University of Minnesota 93 14
University of Illinois at Chicago 93 13
Binghamton University 93 14
University of Minnesota Duluth 93 15
Oregon Institute of Technology 93 12
Minnesota State University, Mankato 92 10
Wright State University 92 15
University of Delaware 91 24
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 91 23
University of Massachusetts Lowell 91 30
University of Maryland Baltimore County 91 19
University of Wisconsin-Platteville 91 23
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 91 11
Kettering University 91 27
The University of Alabama 90 37
University at Buffalo 90 19
University of Colorado Denver 90 12
University of North Dakota 90 10
University of North Florida 89 14
Washington University in St. Louis 89 15
University of Oklahoma 88 19
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 88 29
Lamar University 88 18
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 88 24
Iowa State University 87 65
Portland State University 87 16
UC Irvine 87 16
Oakland University 87 24
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 87 42
Texas A&M University-Kingsville 87 11
Florida International University 86 17
University of Wisconsin-Madison 86 31
San Jose State University 86 23
Temple University 86 19
Brigham Young University - Idaho 86 19
Northern Arizona University 86 20
University of Kentucky 86 24
Ferris State University 86 11
University of South Carolina-Columbia 86 13
Wentworth Institute of Technology 86 18
University of Tehran 86 10
University of Arizona 85 19
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 85 51
California State University-Sacramento 85 22
Kansas State University 85 34
Baylor University 85 22
University of Nevada, Reno 85 16
Villanova University 85 18
Michigan Technological University 85 51
University of New Orleans 85 14
Shanghai Jiao Tong University 85 10
Brigham Young University 84 40
San Diego State University 84 22
Washington State University 84 43
University of Utah 84 23
University of South Carolina 84 14
California State University, Long Beach 84 15
University of Massachusetts Amherst 84 13
University of Louisville 84 19
Utah State University 84 26
Montana State University-Bozeman 84 41
University of California, Los Angeles 83 20
Auburn University 83 26
Oregon State University 83 46
University of Pittsburgh 83 33
Northeastern University 83 43
Boise State University 83 18
The University of Kansas 83 10
University of Alabama 83 15
The University of Akron 83 36
Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis 83 12
University of Idaho 83 15
University of South Alabama 83 13
University of Toledo 83 27
Missouri University of Science and Technology 83 30
University of Portland 83 19
Clarkson University 83 33
University of Michigan College of Engineering 83 10
Penn State University 82 87
University of Florida 82 53
Michigan State University 82 42
Purdue University 82 91
North Carolina State University 82 44
Louisiana State University 82 24
University of California, Riverside 82 20
Drexel University 82 38
University of Dayton 82 36
Florida Institute of Technology 82 10
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 82 10
Arizona State University 81 38
University of Washington 81 24
University of Houston 81 46
Colorado State University 81 27
Texas Tech University 81 50
University of Cincinnati 81 23
California State University, Fullerton 81 19
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 81 30
University of Maryland 81 27
Old Dominion University 81 30
Rowan University 81 14
Rutgers University 81 12
San Diego State University-California State University 81 10
University of Louisiana at Lafayette 81 32
University of Maine 81 19
Lehigh University 81 17
Purdue University Northwest 81 13
University of Central Florida 80 72
University of South Florida 80 27
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 80 49
The University of Texas at San Antonio 80 29
The University of Texas at Arlington 80 23
West Virginia University 80 20
University of Arkansas 80 20
Georgia Southern University 80 20
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 80 13
University of California, Merced 80 21
Arkansas Tech University 80 10
The Ohio State University 79 48
University of Missouri-Columbia 79 24
Clemson University 79 35
California State University-Long Beach 79 18
Georgia Institute of Technology 79 88
The University of Texas at Dallas 79 31
University of Maryland College Park 79 20
Mississippi State University 79 35
Cornell University 79 21
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 79 20
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 79 12
Rochester Institute of Technology 79 42
California State University, Chico 79 10
Tennessee Technological University 79 13
Louisiana Tech University 79 13
Colorado School of Mines 79 53
Bucknell University 79 12
Valparaiso University 79 13
Lafayette College 79 14
University of California, Davis 78 32
University of Michigan 78 37
University of Colorado Boulder 78 42
Oklahoma State University 78 39
Miami University 78 14
Kennesaw State University 78 15
University of Rhode Island 78 12
The University of Texas at El Paso 78 28
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 78 14
Stanford University 78 10
University of Colorado Colorado Springs 78 10
University of Denver 78 12
Stevens Institute of Technology 78 20
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College 78 24
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani 78 13
Ohio University 77 15
University of Connecticut 77 19
UC Santa Barbara 77 13
University of California, Irvine 77 10
Eastern Washington University 77 13
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 77 34
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 77 11
Carnegie Mellon University 77 14
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 25
University of Georgia College of Engineering 77 11
Virginia Tech 76 35
University of Nevada-Las Vegas 76 19
University of Mississippi 76 14
University of Hawaii at Manoa 76 12
Wichita State University 76 12
Gonzaga University 76 12
University of Rochester 76 13
Prairie View A&M University 76 15
Manhattan College 76 14
Texas A&M University 75 76
University of California, Berkeley 75 17
University of Southern California 75 19
Boston University 75 16
University of New Hampshire 75 16
Bradley University 75 16
SUNY Polytechnic Institute 75 11
Florida Atlantic University 74 11
California State University, Northridge 74 11
University of Texas at Tyler 74 13
The University of Toledo 74 12
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 74 16
Northwestern University 73 16
New Jersey Institute of Technology 73 32
The University of Texas at Austin 72 44
Milwaukee School of Engineering 72 16
Auburn University, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering 71 10
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 70 29
University of Virginia 70 20
University of Nebraska-Lincoln 70 18
University of California, San Diego 70 10
The College of New Jersey 70 10
New Mexico State University 70 18
Savitribai Phule Pune University 70 28
Florida State University 69 11
Visvesvaraya Technological University 69 13
University of Notre Dame 68 17
Tufts University 68 11
SRM University 68 11
Northern Illinois University 67 13
Vanderbilt University 66 15
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University 66 14
University of Mumbai 66 24
University of North Texas 65 10
United States Naval Academy 64 16
Rice University 63 10
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 62 10
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University 60 16
Vellore Institute of Technology 59 18
Anna University 55 13
Osmania University 50 12
United States Military Academy at West Point 48 10