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Boston Career Explorer

Architecture and Engineering

Aerospace Engineers

Perform engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. May conduct basic and applied research to evaluate adaptability of materials and equipment to aircraft design and manufacture. May recommend improvements in testing equipment and techniques.

Also called: Aeronautical Engineer, Aerospace Stress Engineer, Avionics Engineer, Design Engineer, Flight Controls Engineer, Flight Systems Test Engineer

Median pay in Greater Boston
$149,470
$71.86/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
960
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+5.8%
60 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$89,750$98,850$149,470$182,370$217,840

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
  • Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environmental regulations, or quality standards.
  • Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircraft or aerospace products.
  • Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
  • Diagnose performance problems by reviewing reports or documentation from customers or field engineers or by inspecting malfunctioning or damaged products.
  • Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure84 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 90
  • Language-model AIOE 78
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 83

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for aerospace engineers is higher, and some AI use has already been seen in the field. Tools can help with early design ideas, reviewing data and reports, and spotting patterns in performance problems. Running physical tests, inspecting damaged products, and leading technical teams still depend on people's judgment.

Likely to change

  • Early design concepts and options
  • Reviewing reports and product data

Still relies on people

  • Hands-on testing of prototypes
  • Leading and coordinating engineering teams

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

25 programs near Boston (plus 28 graduate)

Related occupations

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