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Operate, install, adjust, and maintain integrated computer/communications systems, consoles, simulators, and other data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments and equipment, which are used to launch, track, position, and evaluate air and space vehicles. May record and interpret test data.
Communication skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians must be able to follow instructions from aerospace engineers. They also need to clearly convey problems to their supervisors.
Detail oriented. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians take precise measurements needed by aerospace engineers. In addition, they must keep accurate records of these measurements.
Interpersonal skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians must be able to work well with others. They interact with people from other divisions, businesses, and governments.
Math skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians use mathematics for measurement, analysis, design, and troubleshooting tasks.
Mechanical skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians assist aerospace engineers by building what the engineers design. They need technical skills to guide processes from design to production.
Problem-solving skills. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians help aerospace engineers troubleshoot design issues. They must be able to help evaluate system capabilities, formulate questions, and then find the answers.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
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94% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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90% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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87% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
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86% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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84% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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81% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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81% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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79% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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77% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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70% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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68% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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65% | Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
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95% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. | |
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83% | Investigative - Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service. | |
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67% | Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
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78% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. | |
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75% | Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. | |
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67% | Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
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75% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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75% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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75% | Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. | |
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72% | Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). | |
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72% | Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). | |
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72% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). | |
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72% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. | |
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72% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. | |
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69% | Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
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99% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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98% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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92% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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92% | Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job? | |
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88% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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87% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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87% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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85% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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84% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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82% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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78% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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76% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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75% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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72% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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71% | Exposed to Hazardous Conditions - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions? | |
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70% | Consequence of Error - How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable? | |
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67% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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67% | Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? | |
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66% | Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable? | |
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98% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
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91% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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89% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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88% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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86% | Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. | |
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85% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
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82% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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82% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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80% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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75% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. | |
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74% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. | |
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73% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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72% | Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. | |
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72% | Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. | |
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70% | Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. | |
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68% | Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. | |
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65% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians install, run, and maintain equipment used to develop, test, produce, and sustain aircraft and spacecraft. Their work is critical to ensuring the safety and precision of key parts of these vehicles and systems.
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians typically do the following:
New aircraft designs undergo years of testing before they are put into service. As part of the job, technologists and technicians often calibrate test equipment, such as wind tunnels, and determine the causes of equipment malfunctions. They also may program and run computer simulations that test the new designs.
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians held about 10,200 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians were as follows:
| Aerospace product and parts manufacturing | 36% |
| Engineering services | 28 |
| Scientific research and development services | 8 |
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 7 |
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians who work in manufacturing or industrial plants are frequently involved in assembly.
Most aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians work full time. Depending on the employer or project, they may work in shifts or be required to work overtime.
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians typically need an associate’s degree in engineering technology or a related field. Some employers consider candidates who have a high school diploma or have completed a certificate program. Some aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians must have security clearances to work on projects related to national defense. U.S. citizenship may be required for certain types and levels of clearance.
High school students interested in becoming an aerospace engineering and operations technologist or technician should take classes in math, science, and, if available, drafting and information technology.
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians typically need an associate’s degree in engineering technology or a related field. Some employers consider candidates who have a high school diploma or have completed a certificate program. Associate’s degree and certificate programs are available at community colleges or vocational–technical schools.
Although not required for the job, SpaceTEC, the National Science Foundation’s Center for Aerospace Technical Education, offers the Certified Aerospace Technician Core Certification. Recertification is required every 3 years.
Employment of aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians is projected to grow 8 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 1,000 openings for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Technological advances have reduced the cost of launching satellites. Demand for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians is expected to increase as space becomes more accessible, especially with innovations that make small satellites commercially viable. New developments in types of aircrafts, such as electric hybrids, also are expected to drive an increase in employment. In addition, continued interest in drones is expected to support employment growth for these workers.
For more information about accredited aeronautics and engineering programs, visit
For more information about careers in engineering, visit
Technology Student Association
For more information about certification, visit
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Aerospace Engineers |
Aerospace engineers design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. |
Bachelor's degree | $126,880 |
|
Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and Technicians |
Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. |
See How to Become One | $70,740 |
|
Drafters |
Drafters use software to convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. |
Associate's degree | $60,400 |
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Electro-mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians |
Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians operate, test, and maintain electromechanical or robotic equipment. |
Associate's degree | $60,570 |
|
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians |
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians help engineers solve problems affecting manufacturing layout or production. |
Associate's degree | $61,210 |
|
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians |
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians help mechanical engineers design, develop, test, and manufacture machines and other devices. |
Associate's degree | $61,990 |