8 Cool Jobs You Can Get with an Aerospace Engineering Degree

Thinking of pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering? Aerospace engineering isn’t just a career for astronauts, even though that is one possible outcome. You will study subjects like propulsion, structure, thermodynamics, and avionics. Here are a handful of careers you can pursue after you graduate as an aerospace engineer.

1. Mechanical Engineer Many parts of airplanes, missiles and spacecraft can be made to work better or more efficiently. Mechanical engineers design and research these potential advances, whether they are large jet engines or tiny sensors, to develop new and better aerospace technologies for current and future needs.
2. Aircraft/Spacecraft Designer Commercial air travel and the beginnings of private space flights have led to more demand for designers of state-of-the-art machines that will be safer and more efficient with each passing year.
3. Data Processing Manager More of aerospace engineering has shifted to supercomputer simulations that can help conduct research with less time and expense. Engineers are needed to process the data collected in these simulations and determine how to use it to deploy new solutions and get them to market faster than ever before.
4. Military Aerospace Engineer One way to keep the military strong is to develop innovations that make combat safer and decrease collateral damage. Military aerospace engineers have developed military technologies like laser-guided weapons systems and combat droids to aid soldiers in their attempts to keep America and the world safer.
5. Inspector and Compliance Officer These aerospace engineers are responsible for making sure those in the air and on the ground are safe. They enforce all kinds of safety regulations and laws designed to catch flaws before anyone gets hurt. Aerospace and aviation manufacturers employ inspectors as well as companies that provide air or space travel, and of course, the government.
6. Drafter Drawings and specification sheets must be prepared before any spacecraft, aircraft or missile can be built. Drafters prepare these complex and detailed documents that show every aspect of the object in question from every side and angle.
7. Aerospace Technician Technicians are hands-on members of an aerospace team that may install, maintain, test, and repair equipment that is being used in the field or developed for use. Technicians are needed as part of research teams, and by aerospace and aviation manufacturers and airlines.
8. Mission or Payload Specialist These positions are as crew members on space missions, currently to the moon or to a space station. Mission specialists help with data collection, experimentation, and other work critical to a space mission. Payload specialists accompany a piece of equipment in order to properly install or use it in the mission. Both of these positions may be for a limited time, such as for one space mission only, and are usually filled by researchers or other experts in the field.

Are you interested in learning more about aerospace engineering? Download the aerospace engineering fact sheet and apply to Florida Tech’s program today.

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