A is for Aerospace Engineers
Aerospace engineers play an important role in the research, design, development, construction and other major aspects of aircraft and spacecraft [5]. The average engineer starts out just like every other person. During their high school years, they may show great interest in everything STEM-related, from science class to hackathons and other competitions outside of school. After they expand their knowledge in all of the general aspects of engineering throughout high school, these young engineers study for a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) specializing in Aerospace. In class, they will learn about the basic and advanced physics involved in keeping aircraft in flight. These students will continue to learn about mechanical stress, dynamics, fluid mathematics, thermodynamics, experimental methods, solid mechanics, structural mechanics, airframe design, design optimization, flight dynamics, computer-aided engineering and gas dynamics [6]. After graduating, these intelligent engineers have the option of continuing their education by completing their Master of Engineering (MEng) or Master of Applied Science (MASc) followed by a possible Doctorate (PhD.). Many engineers will also be required to get an aircraft license, so they can aid in testing and analyzing the functions of an aircraft. Throughout the United States and Canada, many big rigs in the aerospace industries are hiring and continuing to expand.
Despite the fact that available jobs in this field are only expected to increase by 2% from 2018 to 2028, aerospace engineers get paid quite well: about a whopping $102,538 [7]. That is more than double the average salary of American workers! Along with a high salary, aeronautical engineers are also given benefits such as an employee stock ownership plan, tuition reimbursement, paid housing, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, paid time off, referral program, parental leave, relocation assistance and more. For entry-level workers in this field, just having an aerospace engineering degree can mean over $50,000 per annum; however, having additional experience in skills such as welding, construction and aviation can increase your salary to a possible minimum of $70,000.
Being an aerospace engineer can mean a lot of things, such as being a vital part of the planning, construction and testing of innovative new technologies for the aviation industry. Perhaps one of the most important parts of being an aeronautical engineer (in my perspective) is the workplace experience that goes into it. I don’t know about anyone else, but I would find it really cool if someone were to ask me, “What do you do?” and I answered, “Oh, I construct, test and analyze aircraft in a giant workshop to ensure that they are safe for use.” If you are reading this and going “Wow, that is one cool job,” remember that the fun does not stop there. There are still a lot more careers to explore in this series of STEM careers from A-Z.
References:
- [1] What can you do with an Aeronautical Engineering Degree Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.edarabia.com/what-can-you-do-aeronautical-engineering-degree/
- [2] Mazareanu, E. (2020, June 10). Airline industry revenue worldwide 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/278372/revenue-of-commercial-airlines-worldwide/
- [3] Global Space Industry Dynamics. Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/global_space_industry_dynamics_-_research_paper.pdf
- [4] Stanzione, K. A. (2019, March 08). Aerospace engineering. Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/technology/aerospace-engineering
- [5] Aeronautical Engineering Degrees. (2019, March 01). Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.topuniversities.com/courses/engineering-aeronautical/guide
- [6] What can you do with an aerospace engineering degree? (2019, October 16). Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/subjects/what-can-you-do-aerospace-engineering-degree#
- [7] [8] Aeronautical Engineering. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.indeed.com/career/aeronautical-engineer/salaries
