Aerospace Engineers

Description

Perform engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. May conduct basic and applied research to evaluate adaptability of materials and equipment to aircraft design and manufacture. May recommend improvements in testing equipment and techniques.

Tasks

Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircraft or aerospace products.
Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements.
Plan or coordinate activities concerned with investigating and resolving customers' reports of technical problems with aircraft or aerospace vehicles.
Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
Analyze project requests, proposals, or engineering data to determine feasibility, productibility, cost, or production time of aerospace or aeronautical products.
Evaluate product data and design from inspections and reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, and quality standards.
Maintain records of performance reports for future reference.
Develop design criteria for aeronautical or aerospace products or systems, including testing methods, production costs, quality standards, and completion dates.
Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
Review performance reports and documentation from customers and field engineers, and inspect malfunctioning or damaged products to determine problem.
Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
Direct research and development programs.
Evaluate and approve selection of vendors by studying past performance or new advertisements.
Design new or modify existing aerospace systems to reduce polluting emissions, such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, or smoke emissions.
Design or engineer filtration systems that reduce harmful emissions.
Evaluate biofuel performance specifications to determine feasibility for aerospace applications.
Research new materials to determine quality or conformance to environmental standards.
Review aerospace engineering designs to determine how to reduce negative environmental impacts.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills

Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities

Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Work Activities

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Work Context

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets: How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Interests

Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Work Style

Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Analytical Thinking: Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Innovation: Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Work Values

Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Related Occupations

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Civil Engineers

Electrical Engineers

Industrial Engineers

Marine Engineers

Marine Architects

Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

Petroleum Engineers

Industrial Engineering Technicians

Lay Titles

Aerodynamicist

Aerodynamics Analyst

Aerodynamics Engineer

Aeronautical Design Engineer

Aeronautical Engineer

Aeronautical Project Engineer

Aeronautical Research Engineer

Aeronautical Test Engineer

Aerospace Engineer

Aerospace Stress Engineer

Aircraft Design Engineer

Aircraft Designer

Aircraft Engineer

Aircraft Instrument Engineer

Aircraft Stress Analyst

Airplane Designer

Airplane Engineer

Astronautical Engineer

Automation Engineer

Aviation Consultant

Aviation Engineer

Design Analyst

Design Engineer

Designer

Dynamicist

Field Service Engineer

Flight Analyst

Flight Dynamicist

Flight Engineer

Flight Systems Test Engineer

Flight Test Engineer

Helicopter Engineer

Master Lay Out Specialist

Military Aircraft Designer

Physical Aerodynamicist

Propeller Engineer

Propulsion Engineer

Rocket Scientist

Space Engineer

Stress Analyst

Stress Engineer

Structural Analysis Engineer

Structures Engineer

Supersonic Engineer

Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE)

Test Analyst

Test Engineer

Test Facility Engineer

Thermodynamicist

Thermodynamics Engineer

Transonic Engineer

Validation Engineer

Validation Specialist

Value Engineer

Vibration Engineer

Weight Control Engineer

Weight Engineer

Wind Tunnel Engineer

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $49.87 hourly, $103,720 annual.

Employment (2008):: 80,420 employees