Aerospace Engineer Job Outlook| Engineers Guide USA

Employment of aerospace engineers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth equates to an increase of about 4,200 aerospace engineering jobs from 2016 levels. Aircraft are being redesigned to cause less noise pollution and have better fuel efficiency, which will help sustain demand for research and development. Also, new developments in small satellites, such as cubesats, which are used for many purposes such as communications or gathering data, are now coming into greater commercial viability. Aerospace engineers will be well positioned to benefit from their increased use. The growing commercial viability of unmanned aerial systems will also help drive growth of the occupation.

Most of the work of aerospace engineers involves national defense–related projects or the design of civilian aircraft. Research-and-development projects, such as those related to improving the safety, efficiency, and environmental soundness of aircraft, will help sustain demand for workers in this occupation.

Aerospace engineers who work on engines or propulsion will continue to be needed as the emphasis in design and production shifts to rebuilding existing aircraft so that they are less noisy and more fuel efficient.

In addition, as international governments refocus their space exploration efforts, new companies are emerging to provide access to space beyond the access afforded by standard governmental space agencies. The growing use of unmanned aerial vehicles will create more opportunities for aerospace engineers as authorities find domestic uses for them, such as finding missing persons lost in large tracts of forest or measuring snow pack and other water resources. Commercial interests will also find increasing uses for these unmanned vehicles, and workers in this occupation will find employment in designing and perfecting these vehicles for specified uses