Life As an Aerospace Engineer
Job Description: Perform engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. May conduct basic and applied research to evaluate adaptability of materials and equipment to aircraft design and manufacture. May recommend improvements in testing equipment and techniques.
Aerospace Engineer Responsibilities
- Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
- Research new materials to determine quality or conformance to environmental standards.
- Evaluate and approve selection of vendors by studying past performance or new advertisements.
- Develop design criteria for aeronautical or aerospace products or systems, including testing methods, production costs, quality standards, environmental standards, or completion dates.
- Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
- Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircraft or aerospace products.
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Skills Needed to be an Aerospace Engineer
These are the skills Aerospace Engineers say are the most useful in their careers:
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Types of Aerospace Engineer Jobs
- Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE)
- Physical Aerodynamicist
- Military Aircraft Designer
- Aeronautical Project Engineer
- Value Engineer
Is There Job Demand for Aerospace Engineers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 69,600 jobs in the United States for Aerospace Engineer. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,200 new jobs for Aerospace Engineer by 2026. There will be an estimated 4,600 positions for Aerospace Engineer per year.
The states with the most job growth for Aerospace Engineer are Wisconsin, Utah, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Washington, West Virginia, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Aerospace Engineers Salary
The salary for Aerospace Engineers ranges between about $71,640 and $164,210 a year.
Aerospace Engineers who work in District of Columbia, Hawaii, or Virginia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Aerospace Engineers make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $115,820 |
| Alaska | $112,890 |
| Arizona | $107,230 |
| California | $125,540 |
| Colorado | $124,070 |
| Connecticut | $106,790 |
| District of Columbia | $138,480 |
| Florida | $105,460 |
| Georgia | $114,160 |
| Hawaii | $121,100 |
| Illinois | $108,520 |
| Indiana | $95,390 |
| Iowa | $110,770 |
| Kansas | $105,540 |
| Kentucky | $98,650 |
| Louisiana | $117,170 |
| Maryland | $127,330 |
| Massachusetts | $119,700 |
| Minnesota | $113,350 |
| Mississippi | $110,760 |
| Missouri | $114,570 |
| Montana | $91,940 |
| Nebraska | $115,120 |
| Nevada | $91,850 |
| New Jersey | $115,850 |
| New Mexico | $114,340 |
| New York | $115,420 |
| North Carolina | $100,080 |
| Ohio | $112,480 |
| Oklahoma | $92,460 |
| Oregon | $109,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $108,300 |
| Tennessee | $88,180 |
| Texas | $122,570 |
| Utah | $105,320 |
| Virginia | $127,390 |
| West Virginia | $90,710 |
| Wisconsin | $85,880 |
What Tools do Aerospace Engineers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Aerospace Engineers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Python
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Visio
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Linux
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- Extensible markup language XML
- UNIX
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- C
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Practical extraction and reporting language Perl
Becoming an Aerospace Engineer
What kind of Aerospace Engineer requirements are there?
How Long Does it Take to Become an Aerospace Engineer?
Where do Aerospace Engineers Work?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being an Aerospace Engineer may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Michel Villeneuve via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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