Aerospace Engineer
Also known as: Rocket Scientist, Aircraft Designer, Spacecraft Engineer, Space Engineer, Aviation Engineer, Aeronautical Engineer
Design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles, pushing the boundaries of flight and space exploration.
Salary Range
The highest-paid specialization or seniority level for aerospace engineers.
About 1 in 333 reaches this level
About 71,600 aerospace engineers per BLS; VP or Senior Technical Fellow roles at $320K+ exist at Boeing, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and NASA — roughly 200-250 positions.
Salary data based on 2025 BLS, Glassdoor, and industry reports. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, and employer.
How to Become One
This career typically requires a bachelor's degree. Here are the top colleges for it:
AI Risk Assessment
AI-assisted simulation and CAD tools are reducing junior engineering headcount on design teams. One engineer with AI handles the modeling and analysis work that previously required two or three. However, a 3.5M worker gap, 6% BLS growth, defense spending surge, and security clearance requirements create strong demand. AI is a powerful productivity tool here, but overall demand absorbs the gains.
Sources
Ratings reflect a 10-year outlook based on 2025-2026 research, weighted toward entry-level impact. Individual outcomes will vary.
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