Career
Aerospace engineers
Design aircraft, spacecraft and the systems that fly them.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
- Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environmental regulations, or quality standards.
- Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircraft or aerospace products.
- Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
- Diagnose performance problems by reviewing reports or documentation from customers or field engineers or by inspecting malfunctioning or damaged products.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $134,960 a year and 3,800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Mechanical EngineeringSee the degree →
- Electrical EngineeringSee the degree →
- Aerospace EngineeringSee the degree →
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, GeneralCIP 14.0201
- Astronautical EngineeringCIP 14.0202
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, OtherCIP 14.0299
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 · +11.9%
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900 · +2.6%
- Avionics Technicians$82,280 · +9.4%
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 · +1.3%
- Mechanical Engineers$104,110 · +11.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.