How to Earn Money as a Mechanic with SOLIDWORKS

 If you work with machines, learning SOLIDWORKS could open up money-making opportunities. SOLIDWORKS is an industry-standard 3D CAD program used heavily in engineering and manufacturing. Putting in the time to master SOLIDWORKS as a mechanic can pay dividends through supplemental income or even launching your own company. A few options to monetize your specialized SOLIDWORKS skills include:

Get a Full-Time Job as a SOLIDWORKS Mechanic

One of the most straightforward ways to make money with SOLIDWORKS is to find a full-time job as a SOLIDWORKS mechanic at any manufacturing company. Your expertise in mechanical system design, analysis, simulation, drafting, and more using SOLIDWORKS is highly valued within product design and development teams. You can be hired as an entry-level SOLIDWORKS modeler and then grow your career with more experience.

As a full-time SOLIDWORKS mechanic, you will be responsible for 3D modeling of mechanical components, performing simulation and engineering analysis, documenting designs with detailed drawings, configuring assemblies, and supporting prototype development. The annual salary for this position ranges from $50,000 to $90,000, depending on your experience.

Can I Freelance with SOLIDWORKS?

Freelancing is a great way to earn a flexible income using your SOLIDWORKS skills. As a SOLIDWORKS Freelance mechanic, you can provide 3D modeling, 2D drawings, design analysis, simulation, prototyping, reverse engineering, and drafting services to companies on a project basis.

The path of fre­elancing offers opportunity yet de­mands dedication. Platforms abound with projects see­king your skills, allowing work where you wish. Howeve­r, excellence­ comes from preparation – building expe­rtise and a portfolio displaying your talents. You can get rates of $25-$60 per hour based on profile­, mastery, work history, and reviews. By be­coming an authority in your niche, prospects expand e­xponentially.

On sites like Upwork or Five­rr you can find contracts needing your SOLIDWORKS abilities. One­ advantage is choosing projects of intere­st from anywhere. But success re­quires developing stre­ngths to stand out when bidding. 

Offer CAD Drafting Services  

Every drawing starts as a blueprint, and companies often outsource 2D CAD design work to outside providers to save time and costs. As an experienced SOLIDWORKS user, you can provide 2D drafting services to your company based on their design needs. This may include concepts, product details, machine drawings, patent drawings, etc.

Focus on quality, speed and on-time delivery to retain customers. If you can quickly understand a design and accurately translate it into drawings, this service will give you a good opportunity. Fees range from $15 to $30 per drawing depending on complexity.

Sell 3D Printing Services

With your 3D printer and SOLIDWORKS skills, you can start your own 3D printing service to print models, prototypes, concept models, and custom parts on demand for your customers. Companies are actively using 3D printing to prototype faster and create custom fixtures. If you have multiple printers, you can offer just 3D printing, or you can offer both printing and design services.

The 3D printing industry is booming and is expected to exceed $34 billion by 2027. By providing high-quality prints at affordable prices, one can build a stable business as demand increases. Online printing services like Shapeways, Sculpteo, and i.Materialise can also be utilized to take orders and outsource printing.

Provide Engineering Consultation

As an experienced SOLIDWORKS user over the years, you might have developed specialized expertise in areas such as CAD modeling, simulation, analysis, macros, software customization, and more. Using extensive SOLIDWORKS skills, te­chnical consulting services can support startups and small/medium busine­sses with SOLIDWORKS implementation, trouble­shooting design issues, and providing guidance­ on workflows and best practices. Service­s range from basic SOLIDWORKS instruction to advanced modeling te­chniques to optimize design e­fficiency.

Conduct Training Programs

As the demand for skilled SOLIDWORKS employees continues to grow, many new users are seeking accelerated training programs to learn the software faster. As an experienced user, you can run short-term SOLIDWORKS training programs for mechanical engineers, designers, and draftsmen on modeling, assembly, sheet metal design, surface modeling, mold design, and more.

You can offer it as an online or offline training program promoted through your web and social media. With the right focus on hands-on learning, these programs can become a steady source of income. You can also design premium plans for professionals.

Summing it up

In summary, SOLIDWORKS offers mechanics multiple opportunities to use their software skills to earn money through a variety of channels (full-time and part-time). Among these key is the construction expert’s CAD knowledge and industry-specific application knowledge.