A career in aerospace engineering is very lucrative to many. With its consistent growth, aerospace engineering has been able to make a good impression on career challenges. Candidates with high ambition and talents are aspirants to know more about aerospace engineering salaries, jobs, universities, courses, and future opportunities. In this article, I am going to talk about aerospace engineering.
The principal branch of engineering involved with the development of airplanes and spacecraft is aerospace engineering. Aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering are two significant fields that overlap. Avionics engineering is related to aeronautical engineering, except it focuses on the electronics side of things.
Aerospace engineering
With proper career planning and the right decision with the right course in the right university, a candidate is able to reach his destination.
What is Astronautics?
Let’s look from the beginning. Astronautics is a concept, a theory, and a practice related to navigation outside the Earth’s atmosphere. It is also called cosmonautics by some sources. The study of Astronautics is called Astronautical Engineering.
There is another similar part of it, avionics engineering, that deals with the electronics side of aerospace engineering. This branch of aerospace engineering offers a higher salary, in the jobs with having professional courses from reputed universities.
Sub-disciplines
Astronautics has several sub-disciplines of science that an astronautical engineer also needs to have knowledge and understanding.
Astrodynamics: It is the area of study related to orbital motion. Engineers having specialization in this area analyze issues like- ballistics, spacecraft trajectories, and celestial mechanics. Aerospace engineering courses offer elaborate learning on it.
Spacecraft propulsion: It is the area of research efforts related to how spacecraft change orbits, and how they are launched to space. Universities offering aerospace engineering courses deal with such issues.
Most of the spacecraft belong variety of rocket engines, as well as propulsion in chemical, electric, or nuclear particles, also taught in university courses, alongside aircraft engineering.
Spacecraft design: it is a specialized discipline of systems development and maintenance engineering that rotates around assembling all required subsystems for a specific satellite or vehicle which is going to be launched (or, launched). Aerospace engineering courses let a person know about it in detail.
Controls: It is a branch of Astronautics that deals with fixing a rocket or satellite in its targeted orbit, in the name of spacecraft navigation, and orientation in the name of attitude control of the vehicle. It is also in the curriculum of universities that offer up-to-date courses.
Space environment: mostly a sub-discipline of physics, this sub-discipline of astronautics takes care of the effects of space weather and other environmental issues that need to be considered for smooth management and study of the space vehicles for spacecraft designers.
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Aerospace Engineering
Going back, Aerospace Engineering is the fundamental branch of engineering that deals with the assembling of spacecraft and aircraft. Aerospace engineering courses reveal extended study on it. Aerospace engineering has the following two branches of study:
Aeronautical Engineering
It is the branch of study, that concentrates on aircraft like airplanes and helicopters that stay within Earth’s atmosphere by aircraft mechanical engineering.
Astronautical Engineering
It deals with the study of aircraft like satellites and rockets, which are operated from outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
Aerospace Engineering jobs
An aerospace engineer is a professional who is specialized in aeronautical and aerospace engineering. It is a dream job for many people because of its adventurous job responsibilities, dignity, and higher aerospace engineering salary, with a mechanical and aerospace engineering career, and Embry riddle aerospace engineering.
An aerospace engineer deals with specialized activities relevant to aerospace. he is responsible to design passenger airliners, combat jets, communications satellites, intercontinental missiles, and alike. These things are not so frequently available in countries.
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You will find many countries that import these things from abroad. Especially, some countries are famous for producing aircraft. However, there are plenty of aeronautical engineers needed to maintain these services. They also handle manufacturing facilities and airfields as well as the production and testing of the aircraft and missiles.
Therefore aerospace engineering job opportunities are more or less constant to the career craving candidates like aviation engineering. The standard average time of An aerospace engineer is 40-hour per week with some exceptions like mechanical engineering aviation. Aerospace engineering university courses make the career challengers more confident and career-oriented.
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Aerospace engineering salary
Aerospace engineering salary is lucrative to most. As per the statistics, there are 68,510 aerospace engineering jobs for the same number of professionals working now in the U.S. Average aerospace engineering salary is $112,010 per year which is equal to $58.85 per hour. Predicted job growth for aerospace engineers is 6 percent by 2026. This indicates a smooth growth of aerospace engineering jobs over the years with no decline in salary.
There are many manufacturers of aerospace parts and products. They are the largest employers of aerospace engineering jobs. One-third of the total job scopes are provided by these employers groups with an average aerospace engineering salary margin of $110,130 per year which is equivalent to $52.95 per hour.
The next great employers are the engineering, architectural, and related services providers who offer more than 15% of the total job scopes provided worldwide. The average pay is $111,400 per year which is as equal to $53.56 per hour.
However, above all, technical consultants, management, and scientific consulting services providers are the highest-paying career makers in aeronautical engineering. They pay $184,730 per year, which is equivalent to $88.81 per hour, on average for aerospace engineering jobs. A time befitting course from universities will be handy
Employment services, that go next with aerospace engineering, with a moderate salary of $129,910 per year, which is as much as $62.46 per hour, on average.
Aerospace engineering growth
Predicted job growth for an aerospace engineer is 6 percent by 2026. This indicates a smooth growth of aerospace engineering jobs over the years with no decline. Having courses with excellent grades from famous universities will be compatible with higher salaries.
This growth of aerospace engineering jobs is very decent as like as many other occupations, which is a bit less than all other engineering professional rates of 8%. Research findings show that there are several opportunities to increase growth in aerospace engineering jobs, such as: reducing noise pollution, redesigning aircraft, planning and developing new small satellites, and growing possibility of unmanned aerial mechanisms, among others, taught in aerospace engineering courses.
The future of aerospace engineering jobs with university courses will also indicate more unseen opportunities due to the technological innovation and need for humankind. However, fresh opportunities will be taken by those candidates having exclusive training in software, for example, C++, or with vibrant experience especially in stress as well as structural engineering, among others, offered by universities.
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Aerospace engineering job description
Professionals in aeronautical and aerospace engineering do the following jobs in the organizations-
- Control qualities of the satellites and airplanes.
- Research projects to assess their technical feasibility within a stipulated budget and timeline.
- Reduce noise pollution for the aircraft
- Review designs and appearances that are expected to meet the expectations of the customers.
- Plan and develop new small satellites
- Strategize government aerospace engineering and engineering principles.
- Test creations of aircraft and accessories.
- Grow possibility of an unmanned aerial mechanism
- Identify the roots of any problems with a view to developing implementable solutions.
- Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering universities teach students to handle these situations,
- Develop structural design and navigation for helicopters and rockets.
Aerospace engineering courses
Aerospace Engineering courses include a bachelor’s degree minimum or an equivalence degree in engineering from universities, and an aerospace engineering undergraduate.
The aerospace engineering course curriculum offers laboratory and field, as well as work with classroom activities. Fieldwork in aerospace engineering courses covers, stability and control, propulsion, engineering principles, aerodynamics, and mechanics.
Security clearances, professional engineer licenses, as well as U.S. citizenship, may be needed for a certain level of aerospace engineering jobs. Clean educational background from famous universities, concentrated work experience and smartly passing scores on two exams will be among other basic requirements for aerospace engineering jobs.
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Aerospace engineering universities
Selection of the right aeronautical engineering universities will ease the effort to have excellent courses on the way to your dream jobs in aerospace engineering. Here are some of the universities that offer professional aerospace engineering degrees:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Stanford University
- California Institute of Technology
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Purdue University–West Lafayette
- University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- Princeton University, NJ
- Texas A&M University
- University of Colorado
- Cornell University, NY
- Air Force Institute of Technology, OH
- Arizona State University
- Auburn University, AL
- California State University- Long Beach
- Case Western Reserve University, OH
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, FL
- Florida Institute of Technology, FL
- George Washington University
- Illinois Institute of Technology, IL
- Iowa State University, IA
- Mississippi State University (Bagley),
- Missouri University of Science & Technology, MO
- Naval Postgraduate School, CA
- Johns Hopkins Aerospace Engineering
- University of Miami Aerospace Engineering
There are many other aerospace engineering universities around you to study aero engineering. Search on the internet, ask your mentors, browse in the social media comments, read the review on the websites, and rush to the best universities for aerospace engineering that offer professional aerospace engineering courses to avail challenging aerospace engineering jobs with handsome salaries. Embry riddle aeronautical university aerospace engineering
Astronauts: Famous, but few
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 45 active U.S. astronauts are in service were another 28 astronauts are working in NASA after having astronautical engineering. This is an indication that astronauts hold few of the jobs though they may have the most visible job in adventurous space exploration.
Qualification for astronauts
The interested applicants must first be selected for the astronaut candidate program run by NASA, it is the prerequisite for becoming an astronaut.
There are several eligibility requirements in the astronaut candidate program to be selected, including having at least 1,000 hours or 3 years of active experience as a pilot in a jet aircraft, and aviation aeronautical engineering. Also, U.S. citizenship and a bachelor’s degree in biological science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, or physical science are among mandatory requirements. Applicants are to submit applications fulfilling the above requirements for the next call.
After sharp and neutral scrutiny from the selection body, eligible applicants are screened and called for interviews. Only highly qualified applicants with emotional intelligence and required social skills are selected for the next phase through additional interactive interviews and practical activities. Applicants prior to selection for the program are called at the Johnson Space Center.
Astronaut Candidate Program is a 2 years intensive training program, that includes training in versatile areas like military water survival, space physiology, spacecraft engineering, medicine and robotics skills, etc. Simulation facilities are also incorporated into the learning process that simulates a space atmosphere. A specific mission is assigned at the end of training to the candidates.
Aeronautical engineering FAQs
Is aeronautical engineering a difficult field?
Aerospace engineering degrees are challenging, but they also provide some of the greatest post-college possibilities. Aerospace engineers must be extremely technical and precise, as well as creative and quick thinkers, in order to solve challenges.
Is aeronautical engineering a worthwhile profession to pursue?
It has a lot of potentials and will grow in the future. Airlines, Air Force, Corporate Research Companies, Defence Ministry, Helicopter Companies, Aviation Companies, NASA, and many more organizations have job openings.
What is an aeronautical engineer’s greatest salary?
While annual salaries for Aerospace Engineers range from $79,000 (25th percentile) to $121,000 (75th percentile) on ZipRecruiter, the majority of Aerospace Engineer salaries currently range from $79,000 (25th percentile) to $121,000 (75th percentile), with top earners (90th percentile) making $150,000 annually across the United States.
Is it true that NASA employs aerospace engineers?
NASA employs 20 distinct types of engineers to accomplish our diversified tasks; the most prevalent professions are aerospace, general, and computer engineers. We value engineers who can approach complicated problems from a holistic, systems perspective.
Are aerospace engineers well compensated?
According to the most recent statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics, aerospace engineers earned an average of $121,110 in 2020, more than double the national average of $56,310 for all occupations. However, earnings for aerospace engineers are not the same in every state.
Astronaut Selection FAQ
What degree area can be the best to choose?
NASA doesn’t recommend any specific academic fields that can be considered the best for qualifying for an Astronaut Candidature. It doesn’t recommend any degree over another to get the position. It also doesn’t specify any degree that might be found more competitive in future jobs, even in aerospace engineering companies, like Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation.
The candidate should select an area of study where she has an interest. It will keep you personally motivated and satisfied whatever you do.
However, there are some qualifying degree options for astronauts, such as Physical Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Biological Science, or Mathematics. Useful information on current and past astronauts can be found here.
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What are the age restrictions?
The interesting fact is that, apparently, astronaut selection requires no age limitation. From the record, it is found in the past that the astronaut candidates selected from between the ages of 26 and 46, that is, the average age for the selection process is 34.
Is dual citizenship eligible for the Astronaut Candidate Program?
Yes, dual-citizenship is eligible for the program. The interested candidates must be U.S. citizens to be eligible to apply for the program conducted by NASA. Changing citizenship solely for the eligibility of the Astronaut Candidate Program is not recommended.
Under international agreement, countries having their own Space Agency, like Russia, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and Europe also select International Astronaut over time.
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Which college or university is the best for a degree?
NASA doesn’t recommend anyone specific college or university for having a degree, any of the accredited institutions will do for NASA aerospace engineers.
What experience is required?
As a part of minimum eligibility, the program will be demanding either 3 years of professional, hands-on experience, or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in any jet aircraft, that can be attained by the military. No flying experience is required. Yet, having this experience will be an added value.
Can anyone apply with surgery to improve visual acuity?
Yes, PRK and LASIK eye surgeries are allowed, along with an operative report on the surgical procedure that proves the passing of one year of time.
Which is better– a civilian or military?
Military service or experience is not a requirement to be enrolled.
How much annual salary does an astronaut get?
Academic achievements and experience set the criteria for salary. Actually, salaries for astronauts are decided by the General Schedule pay scale for grades GS-11 & GS-14 of the Federal Government. Presently a GS-11 candidate receives $66,026 per year whereas a GS-14 gets a salary up to $144,566 per year.
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How to contact the Astronaut Selection Office?
The Astronaut Selection Office is available at [email protected], as well as at 281-483-5907.
You may contact the Flight Medicine Clinic at 281-483-7999, for your medical-related queries.
Take away
Now you have an understanding of aerospace engineering salaries, courses, scopes, jobs, and universities. Aeronautical engineering technology is progressing. Take your decision on the future job trend and get ready for taking the challenges with your charismatic leadership qualities.
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Great Share! thanks for the info in Aerospace