Aerospace Engineers

What Aerospace Engineers do

You design and test the machines that fly, from airliners and drones to missiles and spacecraft, then prove they hold up.

Aerospace engineers figure out how flying machines should be built and whether they actually work. You start with what a customer needs, sketch out a design concept, then run the math and computer models to check it. Later you plan tests on models or early versions of a product, putting parts under heavy loads, heat or vibration to see how much they can take before they break, and you read the data to see what changed.

Much of the job is checking and explaining. You review design data and inspection reports against engineering rules, safety and environmental requirements, and quality standards. When something breaks out in the field, you dig through reports, inspect the damaged part and track down why. You also write a lot: technical reports, handbooks and bulletins that other engineers, managers and customers rely on.

A day in the life

You spend most of the day indoors at a desk in a climate-controlled office, sitting with a computer, a model and a stack of data. Email arrives steadily: a test result, a supplier question, a customer reporting a problem with a part in service. You are also face to face with people often, because almost nothing here is built alone. You meet with the design team, walk out to a test area to talk with technicians about how a prototype is being set up, and answer questions from managers about cost and schedule. Between meetings you get quiet stretches to run calculations, compare a drawing against requirements, or write up findings so the next person can follow your reasoning.

How people get in

1. 1Load up on math and physics in high school, and build or fix things on the side to get comfortable with how parts fit together.
2. 2Earn a bachelor's degree, the typical way in. Common paths include aerospace, aeronautical or astronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical and electronics engineering.
3. 3Get hands-on through internships or co-op programs, where you work at a company for a semester as part of your degree, or through student teams that design rockets, drones or race cars.
4. 4Apply for entry-level design, analysis or flight test roles and expect to work under experienced engineers for your first years.
5. 5Build depth in one area over time, such as avionics (the electronic systems on board) or structural testing, and take on more coordination of technicians and projects.

Who tends to enjoy it

Official task list

Aerospace Engineers 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. (O*NET)

• 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.
• Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
• Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
• Maintain records of performance reports for future reference.

A typical day involves

How much Aerospace Engineers make

The median pay for Aerospace Engineers in the U.S. is $134,960 a year ($64.89 an hour). Most earn between $86,700 and $205,890. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)

Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in Minnesota ($159,060) and lowest in Wisconsin ($88,400).

Where to study for this

College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.

• Mechanical Engineering 451 colleges
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering 452 colleges
• Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering 99 colleges
• Astronautical Engineering 3 colleges
• Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering, Other 1 colleges

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