Aerospace Engineering Jobs And Work Types

Aerospace engineering jobs including the design and manufacture of technologically sophisticated products of the aerospace industry require the skills of various workers.

Production, professional and related, administrative support, and managerial occupations make up the majority of employment types.

Production, installation, and transportation occupations.

Of all aerospace engineering workers, around 40 percent are employed in production; installation, maintenance, and repair; and transportation and material-moving occupations. Many of these jobs are not specific to aerospace and are open to persons with only a high school education; however, special vocational training after high school is preferred for some of the more highly skilled production jobs. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers usually specialize in one assembly task; hundreds of different assemblers may work at various times on producing a single aircraft.

Assemblers may put together parts of airplanes, such as wings or landing gear, or install parts and equipment into the airplane itself. Those involved in assembling aircraft or systems must be skilled in reading and interpreting engineering specifications and instructions. Machinists make parts that are needed in numbers too small to mass-produce. Machinists follow blueprints and specifications and are highly skilled with machine tools and metalworking. Tool and die makers are responsible for constructing precision tools and metal forms, called dies, which are used to shape metal. Increasingly, as individual components are designed electronically, these highly skilled workers must be able to read electronic blueprints and set up and operate computer-controlled machines. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers perform numerous quality-control and safety checks on aerospace parts throughout the production cycle. Their work is vital to ensure the safety of the aircraft.

Administrative support, service, and sales occupations.

Most of these jobs can be entered without education beyond high school. Workers in office and administrative support occupations help coordinate the flow of materials to the worksite, draw up orders for supplies, keep records, and help with all of the other paperwork associated with keeping a business functioning. Those in service occupations are employed mostly as guards and janitors and other cleaning and maintenance workers. As a result of the highly technical nature of the products produced by this industry, sales workers are mostly wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, sales engineers, and sales worker supervisors.

Professional and related occupations.

These workers develop new designs and make improvements to existing designs. Aerospace engineers are integral members of the teams that research, design, test, and produce aerospace vehicles. Some specialize in areas such as structural design, guidance, navigation and control, and instrumentation and communication. Electrical and electronics and mechanical engineers also contribute to the research for and development and production of aerospace products.

Management, business, and financial occupations.

This occupational group accounted for 17 percent of industry employment in 2006. Many advance to these jobs from professional occupations. Many managers in the aerospace engineering industry have a technical or engineering background and supervise teams of engineers in activities such as testing and research and development. Those employed in managerial and administrative support occupations manage the design process and factory operations, coordinate the hundreds of thousands of parts that are assembled into an aircraft, and ensure compliance with Federal recordkeeping regulations.

Job prospects.

In addition to some growth in employment opportunities for professional workers in the industry, there will be many job openings arising from replacement needs, especially for aerospace engineers. Many engineers who entered the industry in the 1960s are approaching retirement. Among those in the aerospace manufacturing industry, professionals typically enjoy more job stability than do other workers.

Work environment.

Working conditions in aerospace manufacturing facilities vary. Many new plants, in contrast to older facilities, are spacious, well lit, and modern. Specific work environments usually depend on occupation and the age of the production line. Engineers, scientists, and technicians frequently work in office settings or laboratories, although production engineers may spend much of their time with production workers on the factory floor. Production workers, such as welders and other assemblers, may have to cope with high noise levels. Oil, grease, and grime often are present, and some workers may face exposure to volatile organic compounds found in solvents, paints, and coatings. Heavy lifting is required for many production jobs in aerospace engineering.

(Acknowledgement: Occupational Outlook Handbook)

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