Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians vs Aerospace Engineers

Workforce scale: Aerospace Engineers is the larger published OEWS employment side - BLS May 2025

Peer titles in the larger-employment major groups

Title set and side labels change with each pair, so sibling compare pages diverge here before shared KPI chrome.

  1. 1. Agricultural Engineers · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
  2. 2. Architects, Except Landscape and Naval · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
  3. 3. Architectural and Civil Drafters · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
  4. 4. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians

Published O*NET tasks in the larger employment market

Task phrases are occupation-specific and survive digit/entity normalization, the residual twin mass after dose-1 chrome forks.

  • Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters. · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3021)
  • Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications. · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3021)
  • Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions. · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3021)
  • Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results. · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3021)
  • Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements. · Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011)
  • Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment. · Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011)
  • Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations. · Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011)
  • Plan or coordinate investigation and resolution of customers' reports of technical problems with aircraft or aerospace vehicles. · Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011)

Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians · U.S. employment

11,280

OEWS total employment

Aerospace Engineers · U.S. employment

67,710

OEWS total employment

Scale dominates here: Aerospace Engineers publishes 67,710 U.S. jobs against 11,280 on the other side (~6.0x). Peer titles above pull from each major group so the larger market’s neighbors are visible before percentile chrome.

Outlook still differs: Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians +8.1% vs Aerospace Engineers +6.1% through 2034 · openings 900 vs 4,500/yr.

National medians: Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians $82,890 · Aerospace Engineers $134,960.

Employment stack: Aerospace Engineers scale

Signal Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians Aerospace Engineers
U.S. employment · Aerospace Engineers scale 11,280 67,710
OEWS median annual · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians $82,890 $134,960
OEWS mean annual · Aerospace Engineers $91,310 $142,060
Annual openings · Aerospace Engineers side 900 4,500
Job growth 2024-2034 · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians +8.1% +6.1%
OEWS median hourly · Aerospace Engineering… $39.85/hr $64.89/hr
90th-percentile annual · Aerospace band $125,160 $205,890
10th-percentile annual · Aerospace band $59,050 $86,700
BLS typical education · Aerospace Engineering… Associate's degree Bachelor's degree
Related experience · Aerospace Engineers None None

Salary by State

Dual-state rows ordered so Aerospace Engineers's state pay advantage surfaces first.

State Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians Aerospace Engineers Difference
Minnesota $71,240 $159,060 $-87,820
Oklahoma $45,590 $125,470 $-79,880
Pennsylvania $60,770 $133,940 $-73,170
Massachusetts $79,420 $149,470 $-70,050
New Mexico $66,460 $132,850 $-66,390
New York $64,480 $130,330 $-65,850
Alabama $62,130 $127,540 $-65,410
Maryland $91,820 $156,750 $-64,930
Virginia $81,040 $143,210 $-62,170
Utah $76,680 $135,840 $-59,160
Ohio $79,310 $138,440 $-59,130
Michigan $69,840 $128,960 $-59,120
California $99,000 $157,620 $-58,620
Colorado $98,990 $156,190 $-57,200
Kansas $78,350 $130,330 $-51,980
Texas $78,350 $130,270 $-51,920
Florida $78,560 $129,280 $-50,720
Connecticut $79,410 $129,500 $-50,090
Arizona $75,230 $123,170 $-47,940
Indiana $62,520 $107,400 $-44,880

Showing top 20 of 24 states.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025 release). Salary figures are annual medians and percentile bands published by BLS.

Common Questions

Which pays more, Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians or Aerospace Engineers?
Aerospace Engineers pays more, with a median annual salary of $134,960 compared to $82,890 - a difference of $52,070 per year.
Which has better job outlook?
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians has faster projected growth at 8.1% from 2024 to 2034, compared to 6.1% for Aerospace Engineers.
How much larger is the Aerospace Engineers workforce?
Aerospace Engineers publishes 67,710 U.S. jobs against 11,280 (~6.0x).

Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Related

Data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. See our methodology for details. Source: BLS OEWS national median annual wages, percentiles, and employment totals.