Median annual earnings of aerospace engineers were $72,750 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $59,520 and $88,310. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $49,640, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $105,060. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of aerospace engineers in 2002 were:
| Federal government | $81,830 |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 74,890 |
| Aerospace product and parts manufacturing | 70,920 |
According to a 2003 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, bachelor's degree candidates in aerospace engineering received starting salary offers averaging $48,028 a year, master's degree candidates were offered $61,162, and Ph.D. candidates were offered $68,406.
Aerospace engineers create extraordinary machines, from airplanes that weigh over a half a million pounds to spacecraft that travel over 17,000 miles an hour. They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise the manufacture of these products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are called aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are astronautical engineers.
Aerospace engineers develop new technologies for use in aviation, defense systems, and space exploration, often specializing in areas such as structural design, guidance, navigation and control, instrumentation and communication, or production methods. They often use computer-aided design (CAD) software, robotics, and lasers and advanced electronic optics. They also may specialize in a particular type of aerospace product, such as commercial transports, military fighter jets, helicopters, spacecraft, or missiles and rockets. Aerospace engineers may be experts in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, acoustics, or guidance and control systems.
Aerospace engineers typically are employed in the aerospace product and parts industry, although their skills are becoming increasingly valuable in other fields. For example, in the motor vehicles manufacturing industry, aerospace engineers design vehicles that have lower air resistance and, thus, increased fuel efficiency.
.Employment of aerospace engineers is expected to decline over the projection period. Foreign competition and the slowdown in air travel will limit the number of new jobs for aerospace engineers related to the design and production of commercial aircraft over the projection period. Despite the expected decline in employment, favorable opportunities are expected for aerospace engineers through 2012 because the number of degrees granted in aerospace engineering has declined greatly over the last decade due to the perceived lack of opportunities in this occupation. The decline in degree production has reached the point that the number trained in aerospace engineering may not be adequate to replace the large numbers of aerospace engineers who are expected to leave the occupation, especially due to retirement, over the 2002-12 period. Some employment opportunities also will occur in industries not typically associated with aerospace, such as motor vehicle manufacturing.
.For further information about careers in the aerospace industry, contact:
See the introduction to the section on engineers for information on working conditions, training requirements, and other sources of additional information.
If both U and M courses are offered in a particular discipline, the U course must be taken. Higher overall averages will be required due to the competitive nature of the program. They design, manufacture, operate, or maintain everything from jets and space exploration vehicles to high-speed cars and hovercrafts. THE PROGRAM Four-year regular or optional five-year Industrial Internship program. The program is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.
Summary of: http://ryerson.ca/ualca/programs/aerospace.html
Because the type and quality of training programs vary considerably, prospective students should carefully investigate training programs before enrolling. Opportunities will be best for individuals with an associate degree or extensive job training in engineering technology. Many engineering technicians assist engineers and scientists, especially in research and development. They also assist in design work, often using computer-aided design (CAD) equipment. Training is available at technical institutes, community colleges, extension divisions of colleges and universities, and public and private vocational-technical schools, and in the Armed Forces.
Summary of: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos112.htm
Engineers design, plan, and supervise the construction of buildings, highways, and transit systems. Civil engineering, considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, encompasses many specialties. Chemical engineers build a bridge between science and manufacturing, applying the principles of chemistry and engineering to solve problems involving the production or use of chemicals. Chemical engineers also work in a variety of manufacturing industries other than chemical manufacturing, such as those producing electronics, photographic equipment, clothing, and pulp and paper. The middle 50 percent earned between $59,520 and $88,310.
Summary of: http://www.wscc.cc.tn.us/careerinfo/majors/Pre-Engineering.asp
Aerospace engineering majors deal in the analysis, synthesis, and design of aeronautical and aerospace vehicles. Although very closely related to air transportation and design, aerospace technology is a little more intensive. What kinds of courses do aerospace engineers take. For example, many majors choose to focus on aerodynamics and propulsion, in order to prepare themselves for careers as engine designers. In addition to pursuing lucrative careers in the private sector, many master's degree recipients serve as advisors or adjunct faculty at major universities and research institutions.
Summary of: http://www.worldwidelearn.com/online-education-guide/engineering/aerospace-engineering-major.htm
Keep in mind that we collected these numbers from a survey published in the Jan 8, 2001 issue, so they don't reflect more recent events. Also, the percentages may not relate exactly to these salary numbers, since both are averages, and because the survey questions were phrased as ranges. Coming in a distant third is product line, then company size, geographic location, and finally degree of management responsibility. Over a ten-year span, only 46 percent had stayed with a single company. What motivates engineers to change jobs.
Summary of: http://www.manufacturing.net/article/CA202077.html
They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise the manufacturing of these products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are considered aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are considered astronautical engineers. Aerospace engineers typically are employed within the aerospace industry, although their skills are becoming increasingly valuable in other fields. For example, aerospace engineers in the motor vehicles manufacturing industry design vehicles that have lower air resistance, increasing the fuel efficiency of vehicles. Federal Government agencies, primarily the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, provided almost 15 percent of jobs.
Summary of: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh20022003/ocos028.htm
They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise the manufacture of these products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are called aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are astronautical engineers. For example, in the motor vehicles manufacturing industry, aerospace engineers design vehicles that have lower air resistance and, thus, increased fuel efficiency. Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, provided 10 percent of jobs. The middle 50 percent earned between $59,520 and $88,310.
Summary of: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos028.htm
They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise manufacturing of these products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are considered aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are considered astronautical engineers. Federal Government agencies, primarily the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, provided about 1 out of 7 jobs. Employment of aerospace engineers is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $51,170 and $82,620.
Summary of: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh20002001/74.htm
They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise the manufacture of these products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are called aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are astronautical engineers. For example, in the motor vehicles manufacturing industry, aerospace engineers design vehicles that have lower air resistance and, thus, increased fuel efficiency. Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, provided 10 percent of jobs. The middle 50 percent earned between $59,520 and $88,310.
Summary of: http://www.collegegrad.com/careers/proft07.shtml
The engineer may have special knowledge in one or more of the following; celestial mechanics, thermodynamics, acoustics, propulsion, aerodynamics, guidance systems, and structures. Aerospace engineers create extraordinary machines, from airplanes that weigh over a half a million pounds to spacecraft that travel over 17,000 miles an hour. They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise the manufacture of these products. Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, provided 10 percent of jobs. The middle 50 percent earned between $59,520 and $88,310.
Summary of: http://open-site.org/Science/Engineering/Aerospace/