Career Profile: Aerospace Engineers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 58,800 people employed as aerospace engineers in the United States. The median annual salary is $122,270. Entry level employees earn approximately $77,440 per year and senior employees earn approximately $168,370 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Direct aerospace research and development programs.
• Research new materials to determine quality or conformance to environmental standards.
• Evaluate and approve selection of vendors by studying past performance or new advertisements.
• Review aerospace engineering designs to determine how to reduce negative environmental impacts.
• Design new or modify existing aerospace systems to reduce polluting emissions, such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, or smoke emissions.
• Analyze project requests, proposals, or engineering data to determine feasibility, productibility, cost, or production time of aerospace or aeronautical products.
• Maintain records of performance reports for future reference.
• 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.
• 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.

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