All About Aerospace Engineers
Job Description & Duties 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.
A Day in the Life of an Aerospace Engineer
- Analyze project requests, proposals, or engineering data to determine feasibility, productibility, cost, or production time of aerospace or aeronautical products.
- Direct aerospace research and development programs.
- Design or engineer filtration systems that reduce harmful emissions.
- Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
- Evaluate biofuel performance specifications to determine feasibility for aerospace applications.
- Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
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What an Aerospace Engineer Should Know
Aerospace Engineers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Service Engineer
- Weight Control Engineer
- Aeronautical Project Engineer
- Flight Dynamicist
- Aeronautical Engineer
Job Opportunities for Aerospace Engineers
There were about 69,600 jobs for Aerospace Engineer in 2016 (in the United States). 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. The BLS estimates 4,600 yearly job openings in this field.

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.
Aerospace Engineer Average Salary
The typical yearly salary for Aerospace Engineers is somewhere between $71,640 and $164,210.

Aerospace Engineers who work in District of Columbia, Hawaii, or Virginia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Aerospace Engineers make in different U.S. states?
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 & Technology do Aerospace Engineers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Aerospace Engineers may use on a daily basis:
- 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
How to Become an Aerospace Engineer
Education needed to be an Aerospace Engineer:

How Long Does it Take to Become an Aerospace Engineer?

Who Employs Aerospace Engineers?

Aerospace Engineers work in the following industries:

Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming an Aerospace Engineer might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
Image Credit: Michel Villeneuve via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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