Aerospace Engineer

Typical Salary

£20,000 To £60,000

Typical Hours

39 to 41 a week

evenings / weekends occasionally

How To Become a Aerospace Engineer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly

College / University

You can do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in aerospace engineering, avionics, or a related subject like:

electrical or electronic engineering
mechanical engineering
manufacturing or product engineering
physics or applied physics
software engineering or mathematics

1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma

2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including maths

You can do a higher national certificate (HNC) or diploma (HND) in engineering before applying for a job with an aerospace company. Subjects include:

Level 4 HNC Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
Level 5 HND Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering
Level 5 HND Diploma in Electrical Engineering

1 or 2 A levels, a level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a level 4 or level 5 course

Apprenticeship

You'll usually need:

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You can join a company as an engineering technician and do training on the job to qualify as an engineer.

You can apply for jobs directly if you've got qualifications and experience, for example from working in electrical or electronics engineering.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of engineering science and technology
maths knowledge
design skills and knowledge
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
excellent verbal communication skills
science skills
analytical thinking skills
the ability to read English
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties will depend on your role. You could:

develop navigation, communications or weapons systems
research ways to make fuel-efficient parts, such as wings, fuselage and engines
use CAD software for design
test prototypes
collect and analyse test data
plan and supervise the fitting of aircraft and components
sign off projects under strict industry regulations
schedule and supervise maintenance

Working Environment

You could work in an aircraft hangar, on an aircraft, at a client's business, in a factory or in an office.

Your working environment may be cramped.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could specialise in a particular field like:

You could also move up to become a project manager or consultant aerospace engineer.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about careers in aerospace engineering from Careers in Aerospace.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.