Aerospace Engineers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-2011 · O*NET 17-2011.00
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 fall under the Architecture and Engineering category in the U.S. occupational classification. Aerospace Engineers earn a median salary of $134,830 per year, ranking in the top 4% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +6.1% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do aerospace engineers earn?
The median annual wage for aerospace engineers is $134,830. That puts aerospace engineers at #32 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pay at this level is well above the U.S. median household income, signaling sustained demand and meaningful credential requirements. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $85,350 |
| 25th percentile | $104,740 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $134,830 |
| 75th percentile | $174,480 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $205,850 |
| Median hourly wage | $64.82/hr |
Is aerospace engineers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for aerospace engineers is +6.1%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 71K positions in 2024 to 75K in 2034, a net change of 4K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do aerospace engineers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working aerospace engineers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
- 2.Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircraft or aerospace products.
- 3.Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
- 4.Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
- 5.Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environmental regulations, or quality standards.
- 6.Maintain records of performance reports for future reference.
- 7.Develop design criteria for aeronautical or aerospace products or systems, including testing methods, production costs, quality standards, environmental standards, or completion dates.
- 8.Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
Top skills for aerospace engineers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become aerospace engineer?
The standard path into aerospace engineers begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about aerospace engineers
What is the median salary for aerospace engineers?
The median annual salary for aerospace engineers is $134,830 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is aerospace engineers a growing career?
BLS projects +6.1% growth for aerospace engineers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become aerospace engineer?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to aerospace engineers?
Related occupations within the Architecture and Engineering category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.