Aerospace Engineers: Career Overview
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.
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What Do Aerospace Engineers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of aerospace engineers span:
- Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
- Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
- Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
- Plan or coordinate investigation and resolution of customers' reports of technical problems with aircraft or aerospace vehicles.
- 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.
- Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environmental regulations, or quality standards.
- Develop design criteria for aeronautical or aerospace products or systems, including testing methods, production costs, quality standards, environmental standards, or completion dates.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful aerospace engineers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Aerospace Engineers Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Aerodynamicist
- Aerodynamics Engineer
- Aeronautical Design Engineer
- Aeronautical Engineer
- Aeronautical Project Engineer
- Aeronautical Research Engineer
- Aeronautical Test Engineer
- Aerospace Design Engineer
How Many Aerospace Engineers Are There?
The U.S. employs around 131,754 aerospace engineers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +5.1% over the projection horizon.
Aerospace Engineers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $63,328 |
| Hourly median | $30.45 |
| 10th percentile | $44,776 |
| 25th percentile | $54,052 |
| 75th percentile | $72,604 |
| 90th percentile | $81,879 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $175,350 |
| Washington | $158,600 |
| Maryland | $158,220 |
| Massachusetts | $152,210 |
| Colorado | $151,570 |
| Iowa | $150,010 |
| Minnesota | $147,940 |
| California | $143,860 |
| Georgia | $142,910 |
| Vermont | $140,520 |
| New Mexico | $139,770 |
| Arizona | $135,620 |
| Hawaii | $134,910 |
| Ohio | $134,230 |
| Maine | $133,660 |
| Alabama | $133,080 |
| Virginia | $132,160 |
| South Carolina | $131,820 |
| Utah | $130,670 |
| New Jersey | $128,400 |
| Florida | $127,680 |
| Kansas | $126,640 |
| Texas | $126,470 |
| New York | $125,270 |
| Illinois | $122,540 |
| Tennessee | $122,430 |
| Louisiana | $121,430 |
| Connecticut | $119,060 |
| Kentucky | $117,660 |
| North Carolina | $117,190 |
| Michigan | $115,540 |
| Oregon | $112,460 |
| Missouri | $112,220 |
| Oklahoma | $109,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $108,510 |
| Indiana | $104,160 |
| Arkansas | $103,900 |
| Nevada | $100,920 |
| Alaska | $100,610 |
| Mississippi | $96,810 |
| Idaho | $81,570 |
| Wisconsin | $75,790 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for aerospace engineers shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $147,572 | 23.2% | 2.02 |
| Rocky Mountains | $147,406 | 7.4% | 2.78 |
| Middle Atlantic | $142,991 | 10.2% | 1.73 |
| New England | $134,458 | 3.5% | 1.07 |
| Southeast | $131,850 | 25.1% | 2.67 |
| Great Lakes | $127,822 | 7.4% | 1.21 |
| Southwest | $127,735 | 19.0% | 1.92 |
| Plains States | $123,469 | 4.2% | 2.17 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $174,130 | 5,350 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | CO | $170,080 | 680 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $167,340 | 840 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $161,580 | 1,240 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | NE | $160,630 | |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $160,000 | 210 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $158,170 | 260 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $157,980 | 2,750 |
Industry Breakdown
Most aerospace engineers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 30,890 | $134,830 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 22,670 | $133,470 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 1,570 | $103,520 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,090 | $135,760 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 980 | $176,300 |
| Educational Services | 610 | $99,850 |
| Wholesale Trade | 390 | $131,920 |
| Information | 390 | $134,000 |
Aerospace Engineers work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C# (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of aerospace engineers reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Telephone Conversations
How to Become Aerospace Engineers
Typical aerospace engineers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Electrical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (Primary-Long)
- Industrial Engineers (Supplemental)
- Manufacturing Engineers (Supplemental)
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (Primary-Long)
- Mechanical Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Automotive Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Mechatronics Engineers (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Aspiring aerospace engineers commonly pursue programs in:
Engineering
5 programs across 3 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers).
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