How to Become an Aerospace Engineer

This lucrative job serves as the foundation of aviation design.

John McDermott

Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 09:09 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

GE Aerospace said it planned to hire more than 900 engineers in 2024. [Credit: GA Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Aerospace engineers are vital for designing, testing, and maintaining technologies for aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles, ensuring safe and regular flight.
A typical path to becoming an aerospace engineer involves obtaining a four-year college degree, with advanced degrees and internships with major companies enhancing career opportunities.
Career prospects are diverse, including private sector roles in manufacturing, defense, and airlines, as well as government positions with agencies like NASA, with the aircraft/aerospace manufacturing sector being the largest employer.
The profession offers competitive salaries, with a median annual wage of approximately $130,000, and is described as a challenging yet highly rewarding career at the forefront of technology.

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Learning how airplanes fly is an essential part of aviation. Pilots and mechanics alike must know how their aircraft work, and the mechanics of flight are regularly a subject of discussion in popular media, the news, and even advertising.

Designing and maintaining aircraft is a central question in any aviation company. Aerospace engineers are well-equipped to solve any problem that arises, whether for manufacturers working to make flight possible to the operators who must ensure safe flight on a day-to-day basis.