25 February 2025
Career Dossier
Aerospace Engineer
1. Synopsis of Job: An aerospace engineer “designs, develops, and tests aircraft,
spacecraft, satellites, and missiles.” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
2. Impact of the Profession: Ever wondered who designed the P-51 Mustang? What
about the F-16, or even the F-22? Well, all of those people were inevitably aerospace
engineers. State-of-the-art airplanes are vital to America’s national security, and
aerospace engineers are needed to design new planes. Therefore, in an indirect way,
aerospace engineers are vital to America’s very existence.
3. Typical Employers: U.S. military(in the case of military aircraft), commercial companies
like Boeing, Delta, Northrop Grumman, etc., and even NASA.
4. Educational Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in engineering or other related field.
Doctorates may be looked upon favorably but are not a requirement.
5. Other Special Certifications: Those with experience could earn a Professional
Engineering (PE) license. This qualification can boost credibility and, in some instances,
can even be accompanied by a pay raise.
6. Code of Ethics: While there is a code of ethics for standard engineers and many
aerospace engineer associations have their own code of ethics, there is not an
overarching code for all aerospace engineers.
7. Median Salary: The average salary for this job is $130,720, according to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the range of pay varies from $80,000 to over
$190,000.
8. Job Outlook: Very good. In fact, the field is expected to grow 6% between 2023 and
2033, which is almost twice the average growth range of all careers.
9. Personal Reflection: This is a very interesting career for me, and only two or three
years ago I was seriously considering pursuing this vocation. This profession is useful to
many people, both privately(who hasn’t ridden on a commercial airliner?) and even
nationally(every branch of the armed forces has aircraft).
10. References:
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook,
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/aerospace-engineers.htm
Glassdoor
https://www.glassdoor.com/Explore/top-aerospace-engineer-companies_IO.4,22.htm