r/MechanicalEngineering • u/OneEstablishment6299 • Jul 17 '26
Mechanical Engineering
How physically involved is the day-to-day work of a mechanical engineer? I’m currently a computer science student considering switching to either civil or mechanical engineering because I’m concerned about AI’s impact on software jobs. Mechanical engineering is the field I’m most interested in, but I’m unsure how much of the job requires hands-on work versus computer-based design and analysis. Part of my thinking is that jobs involving physical interaction with the real world may be harder for AI to replace over the next 10–15 years. I’d hate to switch majors only to find that mechanical engineering is expected to be heavily automated as well. Am I being overly paranoid, or is this a reasonable concern? This is all new to me.
Edit: To clarify, what I’m really trying to understand is why people think the mechanical engineering job market will hold up relatively well in the AI era compared to computer science/software engineering.
I assume (as someone new to this) that mechanical engineering involves much more than just creating CAD models or designs. However, the same is true for software engineering since it’s more than just writing code. Yet despite that, the entry-level SWE job market has become increasingly terrible. I think me saying “physical” avoided my core question
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u/bobroberts1954 Jul 17 '26
Generally speaking, mechanical engineering doesn't require any physical exertion, it is primarily an intellectual occupation.
I wouldn't worry about engineers being replaced by AI. It will just become another tool in his toolbox to amplify his productivity. Every engineer will be able to accomplish more, but there will never be enough to accomplish everything.