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PlotFuture / Majors / 14.19

What can you do with a
Mechanical Engineering degree?

Mechanical Engineering is modest-paying, AI barely touches it, and you would have escape routes.

Is this major worth the money?

Real graduate earnings vs. the debt you'd carry — and how long it takes to pay off.
2.5 yrs
to pay back the degree
+$46k
earnings premium vs no degree
Median earnings
$90,682
Typical debt
$22,822
4-yr net cost
$70,008
Monthly loan payment
$260/mo
If you earn:

Where this major actually leads

5 careers it opens — bar color = AI risk, tag = how hard the path is.
Architectural and Engineering Managerscommon
AI risk 3 → 47 future · +3.8% demand
$171,092
Aerospace Engineersstretch
AI risk 8 → 57 future · +6.1% demand
$114,718
Mechanical Engineersstretch
AI risk 8 → 45 future · +9.1% demand
$101,092
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondaryleap
AI risk 36 → 50 future · +8.1% demand
$96,000
Cost Estimatorsstretch
AI risk 0 → 50 future · -4.2% demand
$90,000
● green = AI-safe · red = AI-exposed · click any career for the full breakdown
How this is built. We take every career this major leads to (CIP→SOC official crosswalk), then join each one's real salary (BLS/DOL), AI exposure (O*NET + model), demand growth, and skill-based escape routes. ROI from College Scorecard. Every figure here is joined from official sources, not estimated.