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Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
4 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for Mechanical Engineering Technician (NOF) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| HEAT TRANSFER TECHNICIAN | 0257 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| Mechanical Engineering Technician (NOF) | 0777 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 6,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| OPTOMECHANICAL TECHNICIAN | 0368 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| TOOL DESIGN CHECKER | 0587 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What mechanical engineering technologists and technicians earn, by state
Louisiana has the highest state median for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians ($102,800) and West Virginia the lowest ($47,660), across the 45 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $102,800 | $49.42 | 270 |
| New Mexico | $97,560 | $46.90 | 320 |
| Missouri | $92,150 | $44.30 | 800 |
| California | $87,390 | $42.02 | 3,660 |
| Connecticut | $82,660 | $39.74 | 350 |
| Rhode Island | $81,600 | $39.23 | 30 |
| Oregon | $80,840 | $38.86 | 260 |
| Nebraska | $80,050 | $38.49 | 250 |
| Washington | $79,410 | $38.18 | 890 |
| Maryland | $79,180 | $38.07 | 640 |
| Ohio | $78,500 | $37.74 | 1,800 |
| New York | $78,210 | $37.60 | 1,140 |
| Kentucky | $77,990 | $37.49 | 520 |
| Delaware | $77,820 | $37.41 | 50 |
| Indiana | $77,220 | $37.13 | 1,500 |
| Colorado | $77,090 | $37.06 | 330 |
| Illinois | $77,020 | $37.03 | 1,170 |
| Maine | $76,790 | $36.92 | 220 |
| Texas | $76,610 | $36.83 | 2,140 |
| North Dakota | $76,440 | $36.75 | 90 |
| Virginia | $75,650 | $36.37 | 670 |
| Georgia | $73,870 | $35.51 | 560 |
| Nevada | $72,950 | $35.07 | 420 |
| Arizona | $72,090 | $34.66 | 730 |
| Iowa | $71,670 | $34.46 | 500 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,820 | $34.05 | 1,620 |
| Mississippi | $70,570 | $33.93 | 220 |
| South Carolina | $69,580 | $33.45 | 1,290 |
| Idaho | $68,310 | $32.84 | 30 |
| Michigan | $68,170 | $32.77 | 4,930 |
| Wisconsin | $67,850 | $32.62 | 900 |
| New Hampshire | $66,740 | $32.09 | 570 |
| New Jersey | $65,180 | $31.34 | 260 |
| Minnesota | $63,990 | $30.77 | 400 |
| Massachusetts | $62,390 | $30.00 | 1,310 |
| North Carolina | $62,360 | $29.98 | 1,190 |
| Tennessee | $62,270 | $29.94 | 580 |
| Utah | $61,870 | $29.74 | 900 |
| Oklahoma | $61,480 | $29.56 | 490 |
| Alabama | $60,350 | $29.01 | 400 |
| Florida | $59,720 | $28.71 | 540 |
| Kansas | $55,390 | $26.63 | 410 |
| South Dakota | $53,670 | $25.80 | 110 |
| Puerto Rico | $51,860 | $24.93 | 70 |
| West Virginia | $47,660 | $22.91 | 200 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).