Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
Operate, install, adjust, and maintain integrated computer/communications systems, consoles, simulators, and other data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments and equipment, which are used to launch, track, position, and evaluate air and space vehicles. May record and interpret test data.
- Median pay
- $82,890
- Doing it now
- 11,600
- By 2035
- Up 11.9%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
a year
across the country
1,100 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
- Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms.
- Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.
- Adjust, repair, or replace faulty components of test setups and equipment.
- Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
- Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.
- Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansSee 138 colleges that teach it
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansSee 103 colleges that teach it
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringSee 76 colleges that teach it
- Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralSee 74 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$66,120
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190
- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists$78,350
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics$50,620
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $82,890 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.