Aerospace Engineers

Aerospace engineers design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. In addition, they create and test prototypes to make sure that they function according to design.

Duties

Aerospace engineers typically do the following:

• Coordinate and direct the design, manufacture, and testing of aircraft and aerospace products
• Assess project proposals to determine whether they are technically and financially feasible
• Determine whether proposed projects will be safe and meet defined goals
• Evaluate designs to ensure that products meet engineering principles, customer requirements, and environmental regulations
• Develop criteria for design, quality, completion, and sustainment after delivery
• Ensure that projects meet required standards
• Inspect malfunctioning or damaged products to identify sources of problems and possible solutions

Aerospace engineers develop technologies for use in aviation, defense systems, and spacecraft. They may focus on areas such as aerodynamic fluid flow; structural design; guidance, navigation, and control; instrumentation and communication; robotics; or propulsion and combustion.

Aerospace engineers may design specific aerospace products, such as commercial and military airplanes and helicopters; remotely piloted aircraft and rotorcraft; spacecraft, including launch vehicles and satellites; and military missiles and rockets.

The following are the two common types of aerospace engineers:

Aeronautical engineers work with aircraft. They are involved primarily in designing aircraft and propulsion systems and in studying the aerodynamic performance of aircraft and construction materials. They work with the theory, technology, and practice of flight within the Earth’s atmosphere.

Astronautical engineers work with the science and technology of spacecraft and how they perform inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere. This includes work on small satellites such as cubesats, and traditional large satellites.  

Aerospace engineers held about 71,600 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of aerospace engineers were as follows:

Aerospace engineers typically work in an office setting, often using a computer. They also may travel to meet with clients.

Work Schedules

Most aerospace engineers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Engineers may need to work extra hours to monitor progress and troubleshoot when problems arise.

Aerospace engineers must have a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or a related field to enter the occupation. Aerospace engineers who work on projects that are related to national defense may need a security clearance.

The median annual wage for aerospace engineers was $134,830 in May 2024.

Employment of aerospace engineers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 4,500 openings for aerospace engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.