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-SOC code
17-2011.00 - Preparation Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$134,960
Employment, U.S.67,710
Median hourly wage$64.89
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $86,700 | $106,110 | $134,960 | $169,690 | $205,890 |
By state (43)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5,820 | $127,540 | 6.32 |
| Alaska | 100 | $101,710 | 0.68 |
| Arizona | 3,110 | $123,170 | 2.21 |
| Arkansas | 180 | $102,040 | 0.31 |
| California | 9,170 | $157,620 | 1.16 |
| Colorado | 4,070 | $156,190 | 3.25 |
| Connecticut | 1,160 | $129,500 | 1.57 |
| District of Columbia | 290 | $157,600 | 0.96 |
| Florida | 3,250 | $129,280 | 0.75 |
| Georgia | 2,230 | $140,460 | 1.05 |
| Hawaii | 40 | $137,240 | 0.14 |
| Idaho | 190 | $95,700 | 0.50 |
| Illinois | 200 | $108,940 | 0.07 |
| Indiana | 440 | $107,400 | 0.32 |
| Iowa | 40 | Not available | 0.07 |
| Kansas | 1,730 | $130,330 | 2.76 |
| Kentucky | 290 | $126,130 | 0.34 |
| Louisiana | 90 | $136,970 | 0.10 |
| Maryland | 3,180 | $156,750 | 2.64 |
| Massachusetts | 990 | $149,470 | 0.63 |
| Michigan | $128,960 | ||
| Minnesota | 140 | $159,060 | 0.11 |
| Mississippi | 90 | $109,200 | 0.19 |
| Missouri | 650 | $130,680 | 0.51 |
| Nebraska | 130 | $135,670 | 0.29 |
| Nevada | 270 | $96,730 | 0.40 |
| New Hampshire | 40 | Not available | 0.14 |
| New Jersey | 3,400 | $126,430 | 1.82 |
| New Mexico | 570 | $132,850 | 1.51 |
| New York | 560 | $130,330 | 0.13 |
| North Carolina | 650 | $122,930 | 0.30 |
| Ohio | 3,710 | $138,440 | 1.53 |
| Oklahoma | 1,090 | $125,470 | 1.46 |
| Oregon | 250 | $124,630 | 0.30 |
| Pennsylvania | 990 | $133,940 | 0.38 |
| South Carolina | 650 | $137,030 | 0.64 |
| Tennessee | 610 | $128,510 | 0.43 |
| Texas | 6,750 | $130,270 | 1.10 |
| Utah | 1,010 | $135,840 | 1.33 |
| Vermont | 100 | $144,400 | 0.74 |
| Virginia | 2,540 | $143,210 | 1.42 |
| Washington | 5,760 | $158,370 | 3.73 |
| Wisconsin | 120 | $88,400 | 0.10 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive Engineers | 4 | 0.972 |
| 2 | Mechatronics Engineers | 4 | 0.971 |
| 3 | Materials Engineers | 4 | 0.970 |
| 4 | Electrical Engineers | 4 | 0.967 |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineers | 4 | 0.967 |
| 6 | Photonics Engineers | 4 | 0.964 |
| 7 | Fuel Cell Engineers | 4 | 0.961 |
| 8 | Chemical Engineers | 4 | 0.960 |
| 9 | Materials Scientists | 4 | 0.957 |
| 10 | Mechanical Drafters | 3 | 0.957 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Aerospace Engineers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechatronics Engineers | Operation and Control | 2.25 | 0.971 |
| Materials Engineers | Instructing | 0.76 | 0.970 |
| Photonics Engineers | Active Learning | 0.88 | 0.964 |
| Nuclear Engineers | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.954 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | Management of Material Resources | 2.00 | 0.950 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | Operation and Control | 2.25 | 0.930 |
| Logistics Engineers | Management of Financial Resources | 2.00 | 0.929 |
| Transportation Engineers | Management of Personnel Resources | 0.88 | 0.928 |
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | Operation and Control | 2.37 | 0.927 |
| Database Architects | Programming | 2.24 | 0.920 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Aerospace Engineers, excluding software Aerospace Engineers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Very high-speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL | 6 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Minitab | 10 of 20 | 6.6x |
| Rapid prototyping software | 5 of 20 | 28.8x |
| Debugging software | 5 of 20 | 17.8x |
| Cadence PSpice | 4 of 20 | 30.8x |
| Ansys Fluent | 4 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE | 4 of 20 | 20.5x |
| Statistical software | 6 of 20 | 6.9x |
| Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software | 7 of 20 | 5.2x |
| ANSYS Multiphysics | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.12 | 5.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.88 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 4.00 | 5.25 |
| Science | Essential skill | 4.00 | 5.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 4.88 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 4.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.25 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.25 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (31) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and Technology | 4.70 | 6.23 |
| Design | 4.69 | 6.35 |
| Mechanical | 4.28 | 5.29 |
| Mathematics | 4.14 | 4.99 |
| Physics | 4.10 | 5.02 |
| Computers and Electronics | 4.02 | 5.33 |
| English Language | 3.76 | 3.68 |
| Production and Processing | 3.63 | 3.89 |
| Administration and Management | 2.74 | 3.38 |
| Education and Training | 2.40 | 2.87 |
| Administrative | 2.37 | 3.11 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.35 | 2.68 |
| Chemistry | 2.22 | 2.40 |
| Building and Construction | 2.13 | 1.53 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.04 | 1.90 |
| Law and Government | 1.99 | 2.16 |
| Communications and Media | 1.91 | 1.75 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.74 | 1.17 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.71 | 1.75 |
| Transportation | 1.59 | 1.52 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.59 | 1.00 |
| Telecommunications | 1.47 | 0.76 |
| Psychology | 1.41 | 0.62 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.38 | 0.62 |
| Geography | 1.34 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.28 | 0.56 |
| Foreign Language | 1.23 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.14 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.14 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.12 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.02 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Written Comprehension | 4.12 | 5.25 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 5.12 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 5.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 4.00 | 5.00 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 5.00 |
| Written Expression | 4.00 | 5.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Information Ordering | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 3.25 | 4.12 |
| Number Facility | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Visualization | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Memorization | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Finger Dexterity | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Control Precision | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Rate Control | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Reaction Time | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Autodesk AutoCAD in demand
- C in demand
- C++ in demand
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks in demand
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint in demand
- Python in demand
- The MathWorks MATLAB in demand
- Dassault Systemes CATIA in demand
- MathWorks Simulink in demand
- C# hot
- Extensible markup language XML hot
- Linux hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Project hot
- Microsoft Visio hot
- Microsoft Visual Basic hot
- Microsoft Visual Studio hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Oracle Java hot
- Perl hot
- SAP software hot
- Shell script hot
- UNIX hot
- 1CadCam Unigraphics
- ANSYS simulation software
- Ada
All 84
- Alstom ESARAD
- Alstom ESATAN
- Altera Quartus II
- Analytical Graphics STK Expert Edition
- Collier Research HyperSizer
- Computational fluid dynamics CFD software
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Computer-aided engineering CAE software
- Cullimore & Ring Technologies SINDA/FLUINT
- Cullimore & Ring Technologies Thermal Desktop
- Dassault Systemes Abaqus
- Data acquisition systems
- Digital Equipment Corporation DIGITAL Fortran 90
- ESI Group AutoSEA2
- Fatigue analysis software
- Finite element analysis FEA software
- Finite element method FEM software
- Flexible dynamics modeling software
- Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
- Grid generation software
- Harvard Thermal TAS
- Hewlett-Packard HP OpenVMS
- IBM Rational ClearCase
- IBM Rational ClearQuest
- IBM Rational DOORS
- IBM Rational RequisitePro
- Image processing systems
- K&K Associates Thermal Analysis Kit TAK
- MAYA Nastran
- MSC Software Fatigue
- MSC Software Nastran
- MSC Software Patran
- Maplesoft Maple
- Mathsoft Mathcad
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- Network Analysis SINDA-G
- PTC Creo Parametric
- PTC Pro/INTRALINK
- Phoenix Integration ModelCenter
- Southwest Research Institute NASGRO
- Stress analysis software
- Structure query language SQL
- Sun Microsystems Java
- TEAM Engineering FEMAP
- Tecplot Focus
- Thermal Radiation Analysis System TRASYS
- Thermal Synthesizer System TSS
- Thermal analysis software
- Thermal design software
- UGS Solid Edge
- Universal Technical Systems TK Solver
- Verilog
- Wolfram Research Mathematica
- Xilinx TMRTool
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | 4,880 | 42.03 | $131,090 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 960 | 31.18 | $138,380 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 1,360 | 12.71 | $131,570 |
| Wichita, KS | 1,430 | 10.66 | $130,720 |
| Tucson, AZ | 1,720 | 10.14 | $106,760 |
| Boulder, CO | 800 | 9.56 | $167,160 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 1,400 | 8.60 | $129,410 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 990 | 7.18 | $151,980 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 5,480 | 6.03 | $163,580 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 700 | 4.73 | $128,720 |