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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $134,830 in the US and is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.43 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include computer simulation, production processes, engineering principles, manufacturing processes, safety engineering.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £51,110 a year for Mechanical engineers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £39,125 to £62,237 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2122). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Aerospace engineers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Entrance exam JEE Main (Paper 1) for B.E./B.Tech; top JEE Main scorers can sit JEE Advanced for IITs; IIT/NIT/IIIT seats allotted via JoSAA[1][2][3]
- 2 · Qualification B.Tech / B.E. in Aerospace Engineering (4 years) at an IIT, NIT or AICTE-approved college[3][4]
- 3 · Entrance exam GATE for M.Tech admission or for recruitment by public sector undertakings (PSUs) that use GATE scores[5]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- JEE (Main) — National Testing Agency (read on 2026-09-27)
- JEE (Advanced) 2026 — Eligibility criteria (read on 2026-09-27)
- JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure (read on 2026-09-27)
- AICTE — Approval Process Handbook 2024-25 to 2026-27 (read on 2026-09-27)
- GATE 2027 — IIT Madras (organising institute) (read on 2026-09-27)
Entrance exams on this route — Dates, eligibility and cut-offs for the exams on the way to this career:
12 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Design
- Physics
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
A day in the life
You begin the day at your desk reviewing overnight results from a computer simulation of airflow over a new wing section, checking whether the numbers match what your mathematical model predicted. Mid-morning you join the design team to refine a concept for a lighter component, weighing strength, weight and cost against what the customer has asked for. Before lunch you walk over to the test lab, where technicians are setting up a stress test on a prototype bracket, and you agree the loads and sensors with them. In the afternoon a report arrives from an airline about vibration in one part, so you dig into the inspection data and draft a plan to find the cause. Much of the job is careful documentation: you spend a long stretch writing a technical report and updating design criteria so other engineers can follow your reasoning. It can feel slow, but seeing a part you designed survive testing is deeply rewarding.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
- Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
- Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
- Plan or coordinate investigation and resolution of customers' reports of technical problems with aircraft or aerospace vehicles.
- Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
- Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircraft or aerospace products.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Aerospace engineers do?
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.
What does a typical day look like in Aerospace engineers?
You begin the day at your desk reviewing overnight results from a computer simulation of airflow over a new wing section, checking whether the numbers match what your mathematical model predicted. Mid-morning you join the design team to refine a concept for a lighter component, weighing strength, weight and cost against what the customer has asked for.
How much does Aerospace engineers earn?
The median annual salary for Aerospace engineers in the US is $134,830.
What is the job outlook for Aerospace engineers?
The role is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 71,600 workers.
How do I become aerospace engineers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Aerospace engineers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include computer simulation, production processes, engineering principles, manufacturing processes, safety engineering, aircraft mechanics. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Aerospace engineers?
Our AI-durability model gives Aerospace engineers a score of 0.43 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Aerospace engineers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.