OneTwo Resume

Mechanical Engineer resume skills and keywords

In 894 Mechanical Engineer job postings from 396 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are CAD (62 %), Mechanical design (57 %), Communication (48 %), SolidWorks (46 %) and GD&T (39 %). Of the top 40 skills, 33 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 7 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Mechanical Engineer job postings

Skills requested in 894 Mechanical Engineer job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
CAD62 %Hard skill
Mechanical design57 %Hard skill
Communication48 %Soft skill
SolidWorks46 %Tool
GD&T39 %Hard skill
FEA37 %Hard skill
Mechanical Systems36 %Hard skill
Prototyping31 %Hard skill
Problem Solving28 %Soft skill
Mentoring26 %Soft skill
Robotics25 %Hard skill
Machining24 %Hard skill
Collaboration23 %Soft skill
Leadership23 %Soft skill
Manufacturing Processes21 %Hard skill
ANSYS17 %Tool
Troubleshooting17 %Hard skill
Product development16 %Hard skill
Structural analysis15 %Hard skill
CAD Software15 %Tool
CATIA14 %Tool
Commissioning14 %Hard skill
Creo13 %Tool
Product Lifecycle Management11 %Hard skill
Attention to detail11 %Soft skill
3D Printing11 %Hard skill
CNC11 %Tool
Thermal Management11 %Hard skill
CFD10 %Hard skill
Root cause analysis10 %Hard skill
Python10 %Tool
Revit10 %Tool
System design10 %Hard skill
Procurement10 %Hard skill
Welding9 %Hard skill
Continuous improvement9 %Hard skill
Creativity9 %Soft skill
PE license9 %Certification
Mechanical Assembly9 %Hard skill
AutoCAD9 %Tool

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (23)

Soft skills (7)

Tools and software (9)

Certifications and licenses (1)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these mechanical engineer postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

concept through 29 %sheet metal 19 %engineering drawings 16 %aerospace engineering 16 %cad models 15 %engineering disciplines 14 %tolerance stack 14 %permanent resident 13 %test plans 13 %tolerance analysis 13 %u.s citizen 13 %injection molding 12 %through production 11 %u.s government 10 %lawful permanent 10 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Mechanical Engineer resume example. Then prepare for the Mechanical Engineer interview questions that test them.

Build a mechanical engineer resume with these skills

Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.

Start Building My ResumeScan a job posting

Mechanical Engineer resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Mechanical Engineer resume?

In 894 Mechanical Engineer job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were CAD (62 %), Mechanical design (57 %), Communication (48 %), SolidWorks (46 %) and GD&T (39 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Mechanical Engineer resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 7 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (48 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Mechanical Engineer postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were SolidWorks (46 %), ANSYS (17 %), CAD Software (15 %), CATIA (14 %), Creo (13 %) and CNC (11 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 894 public Mechanical Engineer job postings at 396 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (483), Lever (159) and Ashby (252). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 894. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 894 public job postings for mechanical engineer roles (titles such as Mechanical Engineer, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Mechanical Design Engineer and Senior Mechanical Design Engineer) at 396 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 483, Lever 159 and Ashby 252. Employers in the sample include SpaceX, DLR Group, Olsson, Relativity Space, Syska Hennessy Group and Re:Build Manufacturing. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 894. Updated quarterly. Download the data: mechanical-engineer-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.