According to AIAA, an Aerospace Engineer is a person who is involved in all phases of research and development in Aeronautics and Astronautics.
An Aeronautical Engineer works with flight within the atmosphere.
An Aeronautical Engineer works with flight outside the atmosphere.
A complete Aerospace Team involves the Astronautical Engineer, the Scientist and the Technician. While the Aerospace Engineer applies fact and knowledge to solving a problem, the Scientist constructs the rules and knowledge, with which the Engineer uses to solve the problem. The Technician is the person who supports the Scientist and Engineer, and are good at working with hardware.
There are many different fields in Aerospace. To view them, click on this link...
The amount of stress experienced working as an aerospace engineer is the same at any other job. Most of the work is done in offices and/or in laboratories.
To enter into the field of Aerospace Engineering, it is advised that you should take as many courses as possible in science and mathematics, along with courses in English and Communications. An Engineer needs to be able to use physics and mathematics to solve problems, and needs to be able to communicate complex ideas or plans clearly and accurately.
To become an Aerospace Engineering, you need at least a BA./BS. A MS. or PH. D. is recommended to give you more of an advantage when looking for a job. Engineers also need continued education throughout their careers to keep up-to-date on current techniques, new materials, new processes, etc. In addition, many states require Aerospace Engineers to have a state license, which may include a written test.
The job outlook for Aerospace Engineers at the moment, does not look good. Many aerospace companies have been experiencing high profits, in part by laying off engineers and other workers. The proposed decreasing of the defense budget could cause even more layoffs. Out of an estimated 54,000 aerospace engineers, currently NASA and the Department of Defense employ 1 out of 7 Aerospace Engineers. With the proposed cutbacks, many of these workers may be layed off.
About 70% of the jobs are created by retiring personnel, or personnel who have transferred to other occupations. This is where the majority of new aerospace jobs will come from.
Job growth in this field is also limited by the increasing number of aerospace manufacturing jobs being filled by mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineers.
The silver lining is that the civilian aircraft manufacturing is rising. While domestic commercial jets will face increasing competition from Airbus, this part of the aerospace industry is expected to increase. The job growth projection until the year 2005 is expected to be below industry average.
The average starting salary for an engineer with a bachelor's degree for the following fields are...
The median salary for an engineer in the following fields are...
The average starting salary for an engineer with the following degrees...