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Defense & Aerospace Manufacturing
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
Aerospace Engineers
Aerospace engineers design, analyze, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems. The work is distinct because small design choices can change safety, weight, fuel use, and whether a prototype survives extreme testing. The tradeoff is that the job can be intellectually rewarding and well paid, but it is also document-heavy, highly regulated, and unforgiving of mistakes.
Also known as Aerospace EngineerAeronautical EngineerAerospace Design EngineerAircraft Design EngineerSpacecraft Engineer
Median Salary
$134,830
Mean $141,180
U.S. Workforce
~68K
4.5K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+6.1%
71.6K to 75.9K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Aerospace Engineers sits in the Science category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~68K workers, with a median annual pay of $134,830 and roughly 4.5K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 71.6 K in 2024 to 75.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Engineering Intern / Co-op and can progress toward Principal Engineer / Engineering Manager. High-value skills usually include Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and Science, paired with soft skills such as Clear communication, Attention to detail, and Teamwork across engineering groups.
Core Responsibilities
- Review project requests and engineering data to judge whether a design is realistic, affordable, and practical to build.
- Check drawings, reports, and inspection results to make sure parts and systems meet engineering, customer, and safety requirements.
- Create early design concepts for aircraft or spacecraft systems that fit performance goals and environmental rules.
- Plan and run tests on prototypes and models to see how they hold up under stress, flight conditions, or other operating conditions.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Review project requests and engineering data to judge whether a design is realistic, affordable, and practical to build.
02 Check drawings, reports, and inspection results to make sure parts and systems meet engineering, customer, and safety requirements.
03 Create early design concepts for aircraft or spacecraft systems that fit performance goals and environmental rules.
04 Plan and run tests on prototypes and models to see how they hold up under stress, flight conditions, or other operating conditions.
05 Investigate technical problems reported by customers or field teams and help identify the fix.
06 Write technical reports, maintain performance records, and document design rules, test methods, and other project details for engineers and managers.
Industries That Hire
🛰️
Space Launch & Satellites
SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab
🛫
Commercial Aviation
Airbus, Boeing, Embraer
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Government & Federal Research
NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, U.S. Air Force
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Avionics & Aerospace Suppliers
Collins Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace, RTX
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is strong: the median salary is $134,830 and the mean is $141,180, which is far above the typical U.S. wage.
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The work is concrete and high stakes, since designs must survive real flight loads, heat, vibration, and safety checks.
+
You get a mix of analysis, design, and testing instead of doing the same task all day.
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The field still has steady demand, with 4.5 thousand annual openings and projected employment rising to 75.9 thousand by 2034.
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There is a clear professional path: the role usually requires a bachelor's degree, and no on-the-job training is expected for entry.
Challenges
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The entry bar is high, because the typical requirement is a bachelor's degree and 33.34% of workers have a master's degree.
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Growth is solid but not explosive, at 6.1% over the next decade, so this is not a fast-expanding job market.
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A lot of the work is tied to defense budgets, government contracts, or launch programs, so hiring can rise or fall with big project cycles.
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The job can be slow and paperwork-heavy because design changes have to be checked, documented, and rechecked for safety and compliance.
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Remote work is often limited because testing, hardware reviews, labs, and manufacturing sites usually require people on-site.
Career Progression
Engineering Intern / Co-op
0-2 years
$45K-$65K
Learns design tools, helps with test preparation, and supports engineers with analysis and documentation.
Junior Aerospace Engineer
2-5 years
$70K-$105K
Works on smaller design tasks, basic calculations, and test support while building domain knowledge.
Aerospace Engineer THIS ROLE
5-10 years
$120K-$145K
Owns design packages, reviews test results, and helps balance performance, cost, safety, and schedule.
Senior Aerospace Engineer
10-15 years
$150K-$185K
Leads complex technical work, reviews other engineers' designs, and makes difficult tradeoff decisions.
Principal Engineer / Engineering Manager
15+ years
$190K-$240K
Sets technical direction, leads major programs, and handles the highest-risk engineering decisions or team management.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or a related field
This is the standard entry point, held by 59.05% of workers in this role.
Master's degree in aerospace engineering or a specialized engineering field
A common next step for deeper technical roles, held by 33.34% of workers in this role.
Associate's degree or other 2-year degree with transfer into a bachelor's program
A smaller pathway, held by 7.61% of workers in this role, but most employers still expect a full bachelor's degree before hire.
Key Skills
Technical
Critical Thinking 82%
Reading Comprehension 80%
Science 80%
MATLAB, Simulink & Engineering Analysis 79%
Mathematics 78%
Complex Problem Solving 78%
Operations Analysis 78%
CATIA, SolidWorks & CAD Modeling 77%
ANSYS, Abaqus & Finite Element Analysis 76%
Soft Skills
Clear communicationAttention to detailTeamwork across engineering groupsPersistence through long review cyclesProject coordinationComfort explaining technical ideas Job Outlook and Trends
+6.1%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
4.5K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 71.6K to 75.9 K over the next decade, representing 6.1% growth. Around 4.5 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.