Engineer vs. Technician vs. Mechanic. How Do You Define Them?

Same feelings here on the 'official label' thing. I have never had much interest in who is crowned what but rather what can they actually do and work with is what I base my views of their qualifications on.

Those sound like good generic definitions.

There will never be full agreement for any of the definitions. I have known non degree technicians that could out engineer most engineers. I have known a phd engineer that couldn't be trusted not to tie his own shoe laces together. I have known managers that got the bright idea of making everyone an engineer because that would make them feel more empowered. Basically it is amazing that things can get so confusing and screwed up without involving the media, tweets and politicians.

In summary:

• I like your definitions
• Dilbert is not fiction

Yea.

I have had the same life experiences as well in both examples. I even see that in many people I deal with online in various forums. No name nobodies like myself with basic degrees and schooling yet the will and drive to learn everything they can about anything they have ever had to work with.

Then the other group that consider that being they went to XYZ school and or worked for XX years doing the same thing over and over who consider themselves superior despite everything about them shows otherwise and shows it badly. 'One hit wonders.'

You might put "Scientist" at the top. I see it as a spectrum from pure theory to practical knowledge. The scientist may have a deep understanding of theory but may have no practical knowledge. At the other end, a mechanic may know how to fix something but not understand the working principles. The engineer is in the middle, understanding the math and working principles with practical knowledge to apply those principles.

Good point. The group that does the research behind what goes into those technical reference books that the engineers uses to base all his calculations on.

So given that, then below the mechanic is the general public who largely cant do anything but still consider themself experts on everything because they read it on facebook or twitter yet have no practical clue as to what the significance of said info relates to or means.

"consider themself experts on everything because they read it on facebook or twitter yet have no practical clue as to what the significance of said info relates to or means."

I Trump That!

For a time, it was (3) hats wore by one person.

For some that is still quite true and a fair description of their life work. I think a good number of our forum members fit into that description.

I know I have played all three parts in my life many times,still do near daily in one way or another, and have enjoyed it and each and every one of them for what went with them.

Yes that's good....I simplify it by the engineer designs it with theory, the technician troubleshoots it and decides how to make it work, and the mechanic fixes it, does the grunt work.....I have worked as all three and have enjoyed and loathed each at times....

Engineer designs.

Technician operates.

Mechanic builds and maintains.

They both read the same to me but then I am not a english major and make no attempt to show otherwise. (D- english class student all my life.) SO to me general implied context is more than good enough.

Yea like you I don't look or act much of anything like my education, knowledge, life experience or life goals that got me to where I am now would imply. I have no issue with that but I see many who do and thusly judge me very wrongly by their complete inability to see beyond what they want to see.

Many traditional companies model their workforce structure along military lines. They put their workers into boxes; one box for engineers, one box for technicians and another box for all others. There is also a box for executives. That was the case at one of the shipbuilding firms I worked at. There was even a dress code; engineers and above wear suit and tie; those below, neat pants, shirt; no dungarees.

From experience, I define them loosely upon first encounter, or when belling up for a cup.

Scientist--$$$$

Engineer-$$$

Technician-$$

Mechanic-$

The further you are from the paperwork.. The further the paper for your work.

Engineers -- Creativity

Technician -- Creativity + Hands on work

Mechanic - Creativity+ Hands on work+ Operation and trouble shooting.

I think that your definitions are about right. By degrees and license I am an engineer, and in my former corporate career, I was paid accordingly but did a mix of all three. I enjoyed technician and mechanic in the lab and plants there a hell of a lot more than the engineer part, which included the political/bureaucracy crap. That still holds true in self employment today, but I only get to be technician and mechanic when working on my own stuff.

jhammond

I've always associated myself with the Technicians range of the scale but still every bit a mechanic/fabricator at heart as well.

I have proven I can spin wrenches and troubleshoot with the best of the mechanics and with many over a wider range of area being, unlike the vast majority I have ever worked with, I tend to take a considerably more heady 'how was it actually engineered and what else does it relate to I am familiar with' approach to working with, fixing, troubleshooting or outrightly modifying something that very few of them will even think about or dare to consider.

The odd to me downside I have found though is at times creates a lot of butthurt feelings with some to get outthought on a basic fix. (Especially with some online people when I really don't think they need to be.)

I see your posts that relate to farming and the oil patch and can tell we have a lot in common. I grew up on a farm and was there up until grad school (1977). I used to tell farm stories to my work group, who were all at least a bit younger and mostly from suburbia. Before I left that job, I wrote up a small anthology for them that I titled "The Top Ten Reasons Why I should be Blind, Dead, or Paralyzed." I ended up with twelve, not ten. Many were near misses on the farm, or driving farm-kid built hot rods too fast. I was just plain lucky many times. We finally had to sell the farm in 2005. I do miss it.

jhammond

Yea farming, oil patch, general industrial and commercial service work, heavy equipment operation and truck driving and just insatiable curiosity toward all things of a technical nature.

I have found it odd though how so few who also work in such professions seem to have so little interest in what they do beyond the bare basics to get them by and hold their jobs. Even more how some have such bewildering contempt of those who do have interests and understandings in their work areas beyond doing the basics as well.

At my last job in the oil fields I worked with at one point 5 other electronics technicians and of them only two had any interest in electronics outside of work to any degree whatsoever.

Same with past jobs working with guys who were lifelong service mechanics. I never could follow how someone could work all their life, and even own a huge extremely wele equipped toolset at work, yet openly admit they have such a low interest in fixing anything outside of their employment that they even pay to have their vehicle's oil changed done at other shops.

Then also with some farmers as well who openly admit to having $100K plus annual service bills because they send every single breakdown to the nearest shop and pay $80 - 150+ an hour for either in shop or onsite service because thy don't feel learning how to service even the most basics of their machines let alone hiring someone full time is worth it even though they have the facilities themselves (huge heated concrete floor building or two) that would make for perfect shop space or that were the actual shops from when their Dad or other family or past land owner rand the operation.

O they're always ranting and bragging one another.

But, a good engineer is a one who got experience and technically apt and a good mechanic or technician thirst for knowledge of how things work or make him better.

The scientist or theoretician develops a theory.

The engineer takes the theory and reduces it to practice.

The technician takes the practical description and turns it into hardware.

The mechanic wears bandaids on his knuckles to stop them from bleeding as he drags them around on the ground.

OK, so I have been lurking around here for several years. I am not an "engineer" by degree. My degrees say Social Work and Sociology and an unfinished MDiv. My Job Title is Reliability Engineer. From what I have seen of some of the posts rolling through, I am not an "Engineer" in the regard that I do not use, apply, or even know much theoretical or advanced mathematics which seems to be the strong suit of many on this board.
My job entails statistical management and prognostication, (good guessing and trending) and design suitability. My Key Process indicators are equipment up time, production throughput, and maintencance cost. AS long as I keep things running, product flowing and within my budget I get my bonus and raise every year. Easy peasy.
Do I know how to fix a lot of this stuff? No.
Do I undertand how it works? Sometimes.
Do I know how long it will last and how often it will need maint.? Yes
Can I look at a new piece of equipment and determine its suitability or project its life expectancy and cost of operation over that time? Yes.

So I guess I don't necessarily fall neatly into any catagory, Engineer, Technician, Mechanic. After nine years I am still trying to figure out how I got this job; But there is a good chance I will retire from here as an "engineer". LOL

If I were being asked to write a job title based on the above I'd suggest:
Operations & Reliability Analyst