Career
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
Test and maintain the systems aircraft and spacecraft depend on.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
- Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
- Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
- Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.
- Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Quality Control Analysis.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $82,890 a year and 1,100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Aerospace EngineeringSee the degree →
- Astronautical EngineeringCIP 14.0202
- Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralCIP 15.0000
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0303
- Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0801
- Aerospace Ground Equipment TechnologyCIP 29.0401
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians$67,820 · +4.8%
- Avionics Technicians$82,280 · +9.4%
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900 · +2.6%
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 · +1.3%
- Automotive Engineering Technicians
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.