Aerospace Engineers: 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.
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What Do Aerospace Engineers Do?
The day-to-day 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.
What Aerospace Engineers Need to Know
Successful aerospace engineers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Aerodynamicist
- Aerodynamics Engineer
- Aeronautical Design Engineer
- Aeronautical Engineer
- Aeronautical Project Engineer
- Aeronautical Research Engineer
- Aeronautical Test Engineer
- Aerospace Design Engineer
Job Outlook
There are about 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.
How Much Do Aerospace Engineers Make in Different U.S. States?
| 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
Earnings for aerospace engineers vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| 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 |
Top Metro Areas
| 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 |
Below are examples of industries where aerospace engineers work:
Tools and Technology
- 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 work environment for aerospace engineers is shaped by 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
Entry-level 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)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for aerospace engineers often complete programs in:
Engineering
5 programs across 3 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from 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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