AEROSPACE ENGINEERS

Nature of the Work

Aerospace engineers design, develop, test, and help manufacture commercial and military aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft.  They develop new technologies in commercial aviation, defense systems, and space exploration, often specializing in areas like structural design, guidance, navigation and control, instrumentation and communication, or production methods.  They also may specialize in one type of aerospace product, such as commercial transports, helicopters, spacecraft, or rockets.  Aerospace engineers may be experts in aerodynamics, propulsion, thermodynamics, structures, celestial mechanics, acoustics, or guidance and control systems.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

A bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program is usually required for beginning engineering jobs.  College graduates with a degree in a physical science or mathematics may occasionally qualify for some engineering jobs, especially in engineering specialties in high demand.  Most engineering degrees are granted in branches such as electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering.  However, engineers trained in one branch may work in another.  This flexibility allows employers to meet staffing needs in new technologies and specialties in short supply.  It also allows engineers to shift to fields with better employment prospects, or ones that match their interests more closely.

Job Outlook

Those seeking employment as aerospace engineers are likely to face keen competition because the number of job opportunities is expected to be significantly fewer than the relatively large pool of graduates.  Defense Department expenditures for military aircraft, missiles, and other aerospace systems are declining.  Growth in the civilian sector, which needs to replace the present fleet of airliners with quieter and more fuel-efficient aircraft, is projected to be much slower than previously anticipated due to the financial problems of airlines.  Consequently, employment of aerospace engineers is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2005.  Future growth of employment in this field could also be limited because a higher proportion of engineers in aerospace manufacturing may come from the materials, mechanical, or electrical engineering fields.  Most job openings will result from the need to replace aerospace engineers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

Because a large proportion of aerospace engineering jobs are defense related, unexpected cancellation of a defense contract and other defense expenditure cutbacks can result in layoffs of aerospace engineers.

Earnings

Starting salaries for engineers with the bachelor's degree are significantly higher than starting salaries of bachelor's degree graduates in other fields.  According to the College Placement Council, engineering graduates with a bachelor's degree averaged about $34,000 a year in private industry in 1992; those with a master's degree and no experience, $39,200 a year; and those with a Ph.D., $54,400.  The average starting salary for aerospace engineers with a bachelor's degree was $31,826.

Sources of Additional Information

For information on aerospace careers, send $3 to:

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., AIAA Student Programs, The Aerospace Center, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Washington, DC 20024-2518.


