Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians to grow 11.9% from 2025 to 2035 (about 1,400 more jobs), with about 1,100 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $82,890 a year ranks 201st of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +11.9%
- Openings a year
- 1,100
- Median pay
- $82,890
- Pay rank
- 201st of 825
Is employment of aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians to rise 11.9% (about 1,400 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +6.8% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 36 architecture and engineering occupations with a projection. That change ranks 44th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 11,600 |
| Employment, 2035 | 12,900 |
| Projected change | +11.9% |
| Openings a year | 1,100 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 11,600 jobs here differ from the 11,280 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,100 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 642nd most of 830 occupations. About 87% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 140 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians rank?
The median of $82,890 a year ranks 201st of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: associate's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calibration Technologists and Technicians | +4.8% | 1,500 | $67,820 |
| Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians | +2.6% | 1,400 | $73,900 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | +1.3% | 3,100 | $74,510 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | +2.4% | 8,100 | $78,190 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | +3.1% | 6,600 | $66,120 |
| Aerospace Engineers | +8.3% | 3,800 | $134,960 |
| Mechanical Engineers | +11.2% | 17,800 | $104,110 |
| Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other | +2.8% | 5,400 | $78,350 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.