Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians

Summary

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians maintain and operate equipment used in testing new aircraft.

Quick Facts: Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians
2010 Median Pay	$58,080 per year $27.93 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Associate’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	None
Number of Jobs, 2010	8,700
Job Outlook, 2010-20	-2% (Little or no change)
Employment Change, 2010-20	-100

What Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians Do

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians operate and maintain equipment used in developing, testing, and producing new aircraft and spacecraft. Increasingly, they use computer-based modeling and simulation tools and processes in this work.

Work Environment

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians usually work full time in laboratories, offices, and manufacturing or industrial plants. Some of these workers may be exposed to hazards from equipment or from toxic materials, but incidents are rare as long as proper procedures are followed.

How to Become an Aerospace Engineering or Operations Technician

An associate’s degree is becoming more desired by employers of aerospace engineering and operations technicians, but vocational programs that grant certificates or diplomas also offer good preparation. Some aerospace engineering and operations technicians work on projects that are related to national defense and thus require security clearances.

Pay

The median annual wage of aerospace engineering and operations technicians was $58,080 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of aerospace engineering and operations technicians is expected to experience little or no change from 2010 to 2020. Workers in this occupation work on many projects that are related to national defense and require security clearances. These restrictions will help to keep jobs in the United States.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of aerospace engineering and operations technicians with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about aerospace engineering and operations technicians by contacting these additional resources.

What Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians Do About this section

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians work to make sure that testing goes smoothly.

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians operate and maintain equipment used in testing new aircraft and spacecraft. Increasingly, their job requires programming and running computer simulations that test new designs. Their work is critical in preventing the failure of key parts of new aircraft, spacecraft, or missiles. They also help in quality assurance, testing, and operation of high-technology equipment used in producing aircraft and the systems that go into the aircraft.

Duties

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians typically do the following:

• Make sure that test procedures go smoothly and safely
• Operate and calibrate computer systems to comply with test requirements
• Record data from test parts and assemblies
• Meet with aerospace engineers to discuss details and implications of test procedures
• Build and maintain test facilities for aircraft systems
• Make and install parts and systems to be tested
• Install instruments in aircraft and spacecraft              
• Monitor and assure quality in producing systems that go into the aircraft           

New aircraft designs undergo years of testing before they are put into service because the failure of key parts during flight can be fatal. As part of the job, technicians often calibrate test equipment, such as wind tunnels, and determine causes of equipment malfunctions. They also may program and run computer simulations that test new designs.

Work Environment About this section

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians install instruments in aircraft and spacecraft.

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians held about 8,700 jobs in 2010. They usually work full time in laboratories, offices, and manufacturing or industrial plants. Many are exposed to hazards from equipment or from toxic materials, but incidents are rare as long as proper procedures are followed.

Industries that employed the largest numbers of aerospace engineering and operations technicians in 2010 were as follows:

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians are physically active in constructing the designs that aerospace engineers develop. Consequently, these technicians often work directly in manufacturing or industrial plants, where they help to assemble aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft away from an office environment.

How to Become an Aerospace Engineering or Operations Technician About this section

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians work to prevent the failure of key parts of new aircraft, spacecraft, or missiles.

An associate’s degree is becoming increasingly desired by employers of aerospace engineering and operations technicians, although vocational programs that grant certificates or diplomas also offer good preparation. Some aerospace engineering and operations technicians work on projects that are related to national defense and thus require security clearances. U.S. citizenship may be required for certain types and levels of clearances.

Education

High school students interested in becoming an aerospace engineering and operations technician should take classes in math, science, and, if available, drafting. Courses that help students develop skills working with their hands also are valuable, because these technicians build what aerospace engineers design. Employers also want these technicians to have a basic understanding of computers and programs to model or simulate products.

Vocational-technical schools include postsecondary public institutions that emphasize training needed by local employers. Students who complete these programs typically receive a diploma or certificate. Community colleges offer programs similar to those in technical institutes but include more theory-based and liberal arts coursework and programs. Community colleges typically award an associate’s degree.

The Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), accredits programs that include at least college algebra, trigonometry, and basic science courses.

Many vocational and community college programs offer cooperative programs, with work experience built into the curriculum.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technicians receive instructions from aerospace engineers. Consequently, they must be able to understand and follow the instructions, as well as communicate any problems to their supervisors.

Critical-thinking skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technicians must be able to help aerospace engineers figure out why a particular design does not work as planned. They must be able to evaluate system capabilities, identify problems, formulate the right question, and then to find the right answer.

Detail oriented. Aerospace engineering and operations technicians make and keep precise measurements needed by aerospace engineers. Consequently, they must make correct measurements and keep accurate records.

Interpersonal skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technicians must be able to take instruction and offer advice. An ability to work well with supervising engineers, other technicians, and mechanics is critical as technicians increasingly interact with people from other divisions, businesses, and governments.

Math skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technicians use the principals of mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.

Technical skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technicians must be able to help aerospace engineers by building what the engineers design and helping with the processes and directions required to move from design to production. They must have both the hands-on skills of mechanics and some technical knowledge of aerospace engineering.

Certification

Although certification is not required, skills-based certification programs help students prepare for certification offered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Certification may be beneficial because it shows employers that a technician can carry out the theoretical designs of aerospace engineers, and companies and the FAA seek to ensure the highest standards for the safety of the aircraft.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of aerospace engineering and operations technicians was $58,080 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $34,590, and the top 10 percent earned more than $87,860.

Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of aerospace engineering and operations technicians in May 2010 were as follows:

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of aerospace engineering and operations technicians is expected to experience little or no change from 2010 to 2020. Aerospace engineering and operations technicians work on many projects that are related to national defense and require security clearances. These restrictions will help to keep jobs in the United States. In addition, aircraft are being redesigned to cut down on noise pollution and to raise fuel efficiency, increasing demand for research and development.

Although aerospace engineering and operations technicians are employed in several industries, most of their work is involved in national defense-related projects or in designing civilian aircraft. Research and development projects, ranging from unmanned aerial vehicles to new air transport concepts, will create demand for aerospace engineering and operations technicians.

Those who work on engines or propulsion will be increasingly needed as design and production emphasis shifts to rebuilding existing aircraft so that they give off less noise while using less fuel. Domestically, as space flight shifts to the civil market from government agencies, there will be a shift in hiring away from government agencies and to emerging civil space companies.

However, aerospace engineering and operations technicians also are working on improving productivity through the use of automation and robotics, and increased productivity will likely reduce low-end production employment in this occupation. Another factor that may slow growth in the occupation is the continuing adoption of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. This technology has lowered testing costs because companies no longer need to spend as much to test by traditional methods, typically performed by aerospace engineering and operations technicians. Thus, aerospace engineering and operations technicians will see a shift in work toward more high-end technology tasks.

Job Prospects

Despite the factors driving down overall employment in this occupation, job openings should be available for aerospace engineering and operations technicians. They usually retire at a younger age than aerospace engineers, and indications are that the proportion of those eligible to retire will be rising substantially over the next few years.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about accredited programs, visit

ABET

For more information about careers in engineering, visit

Technology Student Association

For more information about certification, visit

SpaceTEC

Federal Aviation Administration