Aerospace Structures Engineer
Impact: Problem-solving and innovation
Design, analyze, and test the structural integrity of aircraft and spacecraft components.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- 59% Team / 41% Solo
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 5-10% domestic
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 45-50 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $100,000
- Entry-level
- $62,000
- Senior
- $128,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 9% (faster than average)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- None
- Salary growth potential
- High to 106% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $40,000 - $60,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Fluid Dynamics
- FEA Analysis
- Thermodynamics
- Control Systems
- Process Optimization
- CAD Software
- Prototyping
Soft skills
- Leadership
- Emotional Intelligence
- Communication
- Interpersonal Skills
Technical complexity: Very High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 8-10 years
- Career switching
- Hard
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Entry Level
- Mid Level
- Senior Level
- Lead/Manager
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 24% to moderate risk due to specialized skills
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 6.4/10
- Meaning
- 7/10
- Work-life balance
- 8.6/10
- Prestige
- 5.4/10
- Social perception
- High