Career Outlook Of A Mechanical Engineer
Every year, thousands of Engineers are added to the workforce in India. One of the prevalent disciplines in Engineering is Mechanical Engineering. This field, all about construction and manufacture of machinery has graduates working in many industries and fields.
Universities like TOMS have many students enrolled in their programmes every year. Admissions take place through an entrance examination and a counseling session. Upon graduation, students work at top organizations like TATA, HCL, BHEL, IOCL, and GAIL.
Let us read more about the career outlook for Mechanical Engineers-
Mechanical Engineer Job Description
Before starting to discuss the career outlook of Mechanical Engineers, let us understand what a Mechanical Engineer does. Mechanical Engineers are experts who manufacture large-scale machinery like engines and generators. These machines are then used in several industries like Energy, Architecture, Elevators, etc. Regular stores and grocery shops that have large refrigerators are also made by Mechanical Engineers.
As a part of their job description, they will design and manufacture the machinery. Thereafter, they will analyze to find errors in the machine and also conduct tests all within a set budget. They will work on a project-to-project basis with a project manager.
Mechanical Engineer Career Progression
The career progression for a Mechanical Engineer refers to the possible job profiles one can gain with promotions and experience. It must be kept in mind that actual job profiles will depend on the degree held like mechanical diploma courses in Kerala, the organization and on the job responsibilities. For reference, the following are the job profiles Mechanical Engineers can work on as they progress further in their career.
Mechanical Engineer: Generally this is the entry-level position Mechanical Engineering students can work at after graduation. Individuals have to go through a period of training and typically have zero to a couple of years of experience when working at this profile. The average salary for this profile is INR 3,58,262 LPA. With time, one can earn upto INR 10,00,000 LPA as a Mechanical Engineer.
Senior Mechanical Engineer: As the Mechanical Engineer starts gaining more experience, they are offered the position of a Senior Mechanical Engineer. At this profile, individuals will overlook a team of junior Mechanical Engineers. From early career to a late career in this profile, the average salary ranges from INR 5,82,000 PA to INR 10,00,000 PA.
Project Manager: Project Managers, per the name, are given the responsibility for entire projects. This is a profile that needs collaboration between many profiles and departments. As per online reports, Project Managers earn between INR 4,27,000 PA to INR 20,00,000 PA.
Department Head: Once Mechanical Engineers earn experience of more than twenty years of experience, they could be offered to head the department. In this profile, they will be responsible for the whole department and the other engineers. Besides Engineering responsibilities, this profile has a lot of managerial and administrative duties including budgeting, recruiting, preparing reports and more.
Recruiting Industries
Mechanical Engineers can be hired in many different industries. Polytechnic colleges in Kerala have graduates gaining employment in mainly manufacturing corporations. The other major recruiter is computer hardware and construction manufacturers. The job responsibilities and product range will differ from industry to industry. Some of the top hiring industries for Mechanical Engineers are as below.
- Manufacturing and machinery
- Motor Vehicle and automobile manufacturing
- Architectural firms
- Transport machinery manufacturing
- Computer part and electronics manufacturing
- Construction
- Information Technology
- Energy and utilities
Top Recruiters
Mechanical engineering colleges in Kerala and in India have a list of top recruiters that regularly hire Mechanical Engineers. These recruiters, both private and public, are in a variety of industries as mentioned above. Some of these recruiters are not just international but also national corporations. For reference, some of the top recruiters that hire Mechanical Engineers are as below.
- Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL)
- Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
- Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
- TATA Group
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
- Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)
- Mahindra and Mahindra
- Ashok Leyland
- Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
- BOSCH
- Thermax
- National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation Private Limited (NHPC)
- Honeywell
- Reliance Industries
- HCL Technologies
- Larsen & Toubro
Salary Range for Mechanical Engineers
To further understand the career outlook for Mechanical Engineers, let us understand the salary range an average individual can earn in this profile. The final salary depends on the skill set, experience and also various other factors. The average salary, regardless of any factor, is INR 3,58,262 PA.
Entry-level engineers with less than four years of experience earn INR 2,88,608 PA. While between one to four years of experience, the salary is INR 3,03,380 PA. Thereafter mid-career or between five to six years of experience, the median salary increases to INR 5,30,254 PA. For experienced individuals with upto 8 years of experience, the average pay is INR 10,07,420 PA. Finally, with over 14 years of experience, the salary increases to up to INR 15,00,000 LPA.
Scope for Mechanical Engineer
Engineering colleges in Kottayam allow their Engineering students many opportunities to explore their careers in Mechanical Engineering. There are not just higher educational courses but students can also apply to take up competitive examinations. A brief elaboration of both choices is as below.
Higher Education: In terms of higher education, the first choice for a postgraduate degree is a Master of Technology or Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering. They are two-year long programmes that accept applicants through entrance tests and a counselling round. Many Mechanical Engineers also opt to apply for an MBA programme. This is a management postgraduate degree that offers many specializations like Finance, Marketing, Operations, etc. An MBA degree will allow for a career change in some of the top organizations at managerial positions.
Competitive Examinations: In India, competitive examinations like the SSC CGL are held to gain employment in public sector jobs. These examinations are highly competitive and thousands of applicants take them every year. There are different examinations depending on the department that is hiring. For instance, UPSC IAS examination, NDA examination, IBPS PO examination, and Indian Economic Service Examination. Regardless of the exam, most have sections on English Grammar and Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, General Knowledge, etc.
Mechanical Engineers are high in demand, as evident by the high number of graduates every year. Jobs are available in several industries at high salary ranges up to INR 15,00,000 LPA. The career outlook for this field is bright and there are no signs of slowing down in the near future.
