Reddit can be surprisingly useful for engineers.
While it is well known for entertainment, news and general discussions, Reddit also has thousands of communities called subreddits where engineers, students, developers, designers and technical professionals share knowledge and discuss real-world problems.
Whether you are an engineering student looking for help with a difficult subject, a professional trying to solve a technical problem, or simply someone who enjoys learning about how things work, the right subreddit can be a valuable resource.
The only challenge is finding the communities that are actually relevant to you.
To make that easier, here is a list of popular engineering-related subreddits covering different branches of engineering and technical careers.
What Is a Subreddit?
Before getting into the list, it helps to understand what a subreddit is.
A subreddit is a community on Reddit dedicated to a particular topic. Communities can focus on almost anything, from mechanical engineering and electronics to programming, robotics, civil engineering and engineering careers.
For example, r/AskEngineers is a broad community where people ask engineers questions about their work, education and technical fields.
Different subreddits have different rules and audiences, so it is worth reading the community guidelines before posting.
1. r/AskEngineers
Best for: General engineering questions and discussions
If you are not sure which engineering community to start with, r/AskEngineers is a good place to begin.
The subreddit brings together engineers from different disciplines and allows users to ask questions about engineering careers, education, projects and professional experiences.
It can be particularly interesting for students because you can get perspectives from people who are already working in the industry.
Good for: Career questions, engineering education, professional experiences and general technical discussions.
2. r/Engineering
Best for: General engineering news and interesting projects
r/Engineering covers a broad range of engineering topics.
You will find discussions about new technologies, engineering projects, infrastructure, machines, manufacturing and other developments across the industry.
It is a useful community if you enjoy keeping up with interesting things happening in the engineering world rather than focusing on only one branch.
3. r/MechanicalEngineering
Best for: Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering covers an enormous range of subjects, including machines, manufacturing, thermodynamics, mechanics, CAD and product design.
r/MechanicalEngineering is aimed specifically at this field and can be useful for both students and working professionals.
You may come across discussions about engineering software, career paths, mechanical design, manufacturing processes and problems engineers encounter in their work.
4. r/CivilEngineering
Best for: Civil engineering and infrastructure
Civil engineering students and professionals can find a dedicated community in r/CivilEngineering.
Discussions often revolve around construction, structural design, transportation, infrastructure, engineering careers and life in the civil engineering industry.
If you are studying civil engineering or considering it as a career, following this subreddit can give you a glimpse into the profession beyond textbooks and classrooms.
5. r/ElectricalEngineering
Best for: Electrical and electronics engineering
Electrical engineering covers everything from circuits and power systems to control systems, electronics and communications.
r/ElectricalEngineering provides a place for people interested in these areas to discuss technical questions, projects, careers and industry topics.
For students, it can also be useful for seeing how concepts learned in class are applied to practical engineering problems.
6. r/ECE
Best for: Electrical and computer engineering
ECE—Electrical and Computer Engineering sits at the intersection of hardware and computing.
The r/ECE community can be useful for discussions around electronics, embedded systems, computer engineering, circuits and related areas.
It is worth exploring if your interests cross the boundary between traditional electrical engineering and computer engineering.
7. r/AskElectronics
Best for: Electronics questions and troubleshooting
If you enjoy building circuits or working with electronic components, r/AskElectronics can be a useful community.
It focuses more specifically on electronics-related questions and troubleshooting.
Students and hobbyists can use communities like this to learn how other people approach circuit problems, component selection and electronic projects.
As always, make sure you understand the community rules before asking for help with a project.
8. r/Robotics
Best for: Robotics and automation
Robotics combines several engineering disciplines, including mechanical engineering, electronics, programming, control systems and artificial intelligence.
r/Robotics is a natural community for people interested in robots and related technologies.
You can find discussions about robotic systems, research, projects and developments in the field.
For engineering students, robotics communities can also be a great source of inspiration for personal and academic projects.
9. r/AerospaceEngineering
Best for: Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering attracts people interested in aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion, aerodynamics and related technologies.
Aerospace-focused Reddit communities can provide discussions about the industry, engineering education, aircraft and spacecraft technology.
If you are considering aerospace engineering as a career, these communities can also help you understand some of the interests and challenges associated with the field.
10. r/ChemicalEngineering
Best for: Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is closely connected to manufacturing, energy, pharmaceuticals, materials and industrial processes.
r/ChemicalEngineering provides a community for students and professionals to discuss the field.
It can be especially useful for students who want to learn more about what chemical engineers actually do in industry and how academic concepts translate into professional work.
11. r/EngineeringStudents
Best for: Engineering students
Engineering school can be difficult.
Between assignments, exams, projects and long study sessions, sometimes it helps to talk to people who are going through similar experiences.
r/EngineeringStudents is focused specifically on engineering students.
It can be useful for discussions about studying, choosing engineering disciplines, university experiences, internships and the challenges of engineering education.
For current students, this is one of the communities worth checking regularly.
12. r/AskEngineers vs. r/Engineering
These two communities may seem similar, but they serve somewhat different purposes.
r/AskEngineers is more focused on questions and discussions involving engineers and their experiences.
r/Engineering is broader and often features engineering-related news, projects, technology and interesting developments.
If you are interested in both professional perspectives and engineering news, there is no reason not to follow both.
How to Get the Most Out of Engineering Subreddits
Simply joining engineering subreddits is not enough. The real value comes from participating thoughtfully.
1. Search before asking
Many engineering questions have already been discussed.
Use Reddit’s search function before creating a new post. You may find an answer immediately or discover a previous discussion that gives you a much better understanding of the topic.
2. Read the community rules
Every subreddit has its own rules.
Some communities restrict homework questions, product recommendations, career posts or project requests.
A quick look at the rules can prevent your post from being removed.
3. Don’t blindly trust every answer
Reddit is made up of individual users, not an official engineering authority.
Some comments may come from experienced professionals, while others may come from students, hobbyists or people simply guessing.
Use Reddit as a place to gather ideas and perspectives, but verify important technical information using textbooks, standards, documentation and qualified professionals.
4. Show your work when asking technical questions
If you are asking for help with a project or problem, explain what you have already tried.
Instead of simply writing:
“Why isn’t my circuit working?”
explain the circuit, what you expected to happen, what actually happened and what troubleshooting you have already done.
The more useful information you provide, the better the responses are likely to be.
5. Learn from discussions, not just answers
One of the best things about engineering communities is that people often disagree.
Two engineers may approach the same problem differently because they have different experiences, constraints or priorities.
Reading these discussions can teach you how engineers think about trade offs not just how they arrive at an answer.
Engineering Students: Which Subreddits Should You Follow?
If you are an engineering student, you don’t necessarily need to join dozens of communities.
Start with a few that match your interests.
For general engineering:
- r/Engineering
- r/AskEngineers
- r/EngineeringStudents
For specific disciplines:
- r/MechanicalEngineering
- r/CivilEngineering
- r/ElectricalEngineering
- r/ECE
- r/ChemicalEngineering
- r/Robotics
- r/AerospaceEngineering
As your interests become clearer, you can explore more specialised communities.
Engineering is a field where learning rarely stops after graduation. Technology changes, new tools appear and engineers constantly encounter problems they have never seen before. Online communities can be a useful addition to traditional learning because they expose you to practical experiences and different ways of approaching problems.
Reddit’s engineering subreddits are particularly useful because they bring together students, professionals, hobbyists and people who are simply curious about technology. Whether you’re studying your first engineering subject or already working in the industry, finding the right communities can help you ask better questions, discover new ideas and stay connected with what is happening in the engineering world.
