Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Associate's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians support aerospace activities with a blend of technical, mechanical, and analytical skills. Nationally, this is a relatively small field with 9,000 workers, but it offers a solid national median salary of $79,830 and projected employment growth of 8.1%. With about 1,000 annual openings, there is ongoing movement in the job market from new roles, retirements, and other turnover. The role relies on strong abilities in computers and information technology, mathematics, science, mechanical understanding, and fine motor skills, combined with critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, and project management. Writing and reading skills also matter, supporting documentation and communication. Typical entry into this occupation is through an associate’s degree, making it a technical path that does not necessarily require a bachelor’s degree. For people who enjoy detail-oriented, hands-on technical work with structured problem solving, this career can offer a focused and rewarding trajectory.
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians earn a national median annual salary of $79,830, indicating strong earning potential for a technical role that typically requires an associate’s degree. Pay levels vary significantly across states and metro areas. Among the highlighted states, Washington shows the highest median salary at $125,160, followed by California at $99,000 and Colorado at $98,990. Massachusetts at $79,420 and New York at $64,480 illustrate that pay can differ noticeably even in states with solid opportunity scores. At the metro level, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, stands out with a median salary of $125,160, while Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, offers $98,940 and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, offers $85,320. These differences suggest that location choices can have a substantial impact on earnings for this occupation.
Nationally, aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians account for 9,000 jobs, with projected employment growth of 8.1%. This projected growth, combined with about 1,000 annual openings, indicates ongoing demand supported by both new positions and replacement needs. While the occupation is not large in absolute employment, the combination of growth and steady openings can provide a range of entry and advancement points over time. Growth of 8.1% is consistently reflected across the top states and metro areas listed, suggesting a broadly similar outlook in key regions where this occupation is present. For students and job seekers, the numbers point to a field where planning for long-term participation is realistic, especially when combined with the right technical skills and associate-level education. Career changers with related technical backgrounds may also find a defined pathway into this role through targeted upskilling.
Career prospects for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians vary by state and metro area, both in pay and in concentration of jobs. Among states, Washington and California stand out with relatively high employment (1,590 and 1,560 respectively) and strong median salaries ($125,160 in Washington and $99,000 in California). Colorado (employment 660, median salary $98,990) offers a similar pay range with fewer jobs. Massachusetts and New York have smaller employment counts (30 and 330) and lower median salaries compared with Washington and California, yet they still carry solid CareerGPS opportunity scores above 65. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City has the highest listed opportunity score at 77.27, with a median salary of $75,060 and employment of 100. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue offers the highest metro salary at $125,160 with 1,570 jobs, while Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim provides 690 jobs at $98,940. These patterns show that both high-opportunity and high-salary options exist across multiple regions, with notable clusters in Washington and California.
The typical education requirement for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians is an associate’s degree, making this a career that is accessible through focused two-year technical programs rather than necessarily requiring a four-year degree. Success in this field relies on a combination of technical knowledge and strong cognitive skills. Key strengths include being detail oriented and comfortable with computers and information technology, mathematics, science, and mechanical concepts. Fine motor skills support the hands-on aspects of the work, while critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and project management skills support planning, troubleshooting, and coordinating tasks. Writing and reading abilities are also important for understanding technical materials and preparing accurate documentation. Together, this skill profile aligns well with structured, applied technical education at the associate level, offering a clear preparation route for students and career changers targeting this occupation.
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