AEAerospace Engineer
AE
Career

Aerospace Engineer

By the numbers
Typical pay
$134,960 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+6.1% by 2034
People in this job
68K
Figures shown for ·1 O*NET occupation
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour
08:00
Simulation review

Pull overnight CFD results; check airflow patterns for yesterday's design tweak.

08:45
Team standup

Sync with propulsion and structures teams. Flag two blocked action items.

09:15
3D modeling

Refine wing geometry in CATIA — shave weight without losing structural margin.

11:00
Design review

Defend material choice to senior engineers. Lighter alloy vs. proven titanium — decision logged.

13:00
Wind tunnel data

Dig into last week's tunnel run; one pressure reading looks wrong — sensor noise or real?

14:30
Compliance check

Cross-reference updated FAA regs against current design specs. Two gaps need fixes.

15:30
Technical report

Document every design decision from today's review — precise, traceable, no shortcuts.

16:30
Launch readiness call

Program manager asks if margins hold for the deadline. They don't — flag the delay.

Things you do
  • Design aircraft or spacecraft shapes using 3D modeling software.
  • Run computer simulations to see how air flows over a vehicle.
  • Test prototypes in wind tunnels and study what breaks or bends.
  • Crunch numbers to make sure engines produce enough thrust safely.
  • Write detailed technical reports documenting every design decision.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this design safe enough to fly, or do we need more testing?
  • Should I push for the lighter material, or stick with the proven one?
  • Is this anomaly in the test data a real problem, or just sensor noise?
  • Do we have enough margin to meet the launch deadline, or do I flag a delay?
  • Should I simplify this system to reduce failure points, or keep the added capability?
Education Pathways · how you get there
100 in 100 went the college route · 0 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:Aerospace Engineers · 98% related
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