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Aerospace Engineer
Ever been to an airport or looked at airplanes flying in the sky and wondered:  Who makes airplanes, and what does it take to make one?  Do you have a fascination with space shuttles and dream to be a "rocket scientist"?  If you do indeed wish to be a rocket scientist and/or want to build aircraft, then the career of Aerospace Engineer is definitely awaiting you!

Aerospace Engineers perform engineering duties in the design and construction of aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles, and they test prototypes of each to make sure that they function according to design.  They may conduct basic and applied research to evaluate the adaptability of materials and equipment to aircraft design and manufacture, or they may recommend improvements in testing equipment and techniques.

Duties of Aerospace Engineers include but are not limited to:  directing and coordinating the design, manufacture, and testing of aircraft and aerospace products; assessing proposals for projects to determine if they are technically and financially feasible; determining if proposed projects will result in safe aircraft and parts; evaluating designs to see that the products meet engineering principles, customer requirements, and environmental challenges; ensuring that projects meet quality standards; inspecting malfunctioning or damaged products to identify sources of problems and possible solutions.

Aerospace Engineers may develop new technologies for use in aviation, defense systems, and spacecraft and often specialize in areas such as:  aerodynamic fluid flow; structural design; guidance, navigation, and control; instrumentation and communication; robotics; and propulsion and combustion.  The different types of aerospace products they design include:  commercial and military airplanes and helicopters; remotely piloted aircraft and rotorcraft; spacecraft, including launch vehicles and satellites; and military missiles and rockets.  The two branches of Aerospace Engineering are Aeronautical Engineering and Astronautical Engineering which face different environmental and operational issues in designing aircraft and spacecraft, respectively.

Students interested in studying Aerospace Engineering should take courses in Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, including Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus.  Those entering Aerospace Engineering Bachelor's of Science programs from high school with no previous Aerospace Engineering training should expect a period 4 to 5 years to complete said program.  For those wishing to someday establish their own Aerospace Engineering consulting firms and work directly with the public, licensure is required.  Because there is no PE exam for Aerospace Engineering, it would probably be beneficial to pursue Mechanical Engineering licensure.

Because air travel is growing more prevalent due to increased international travel and commerce, the demand for Aerospace Engineers (Aeronautical) is at an all-time high with steady growth.  And because NASA and international physics and space programs are pushing and redefining the limits of space travel, their demand growth in Astronautical Engineering is keeping pace with their Aeronautical counterparts.
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
​Median Salary:  $102,420

Salary Range:  ~$65,310 - $147,810+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
​The normal routes to becoming an Aerospace Engineer have been to major in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, or in less frequent cases, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Aerospace Science, Engineering Mathematics, or Applied Mathematics.
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
​Colleges and universities that have Aerospace Engineering and the majors listed above are:  Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, Alabama); Tennessee State University (Nashville, Tennessee); North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, NC); Howard University (Washington, DC); Southern University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana); Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas); Oakwood University (Huntsville, Alabama); Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi); Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida); Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, Maryland); Florida Memorial University (Miami Gardens, Florida); Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia); Spelman College (Atlanta, Georgia); Morehouse College (Atlanta, Georgia); Lincoln University (Lincoln University, Pennsylvania); Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina); and Saint Augustine's University (Raleigh, North Carolina).
Available Scholarships