How long does the training take?

Typically about two years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

543 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Engineering & architecture · SOC 17-3021

$82,890US median pay, 2025

+11.9%Projected growth, 2025–35

1,100Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Associate's degree
Work in: aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0303	381
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General	CIP 15.0000	183
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	CIP 47.0609	36
Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0801	28
Air and Space Operations Technology	CIP 29.0402	4
Astronautical Engineering	CIP 14.0202	1
Aerospace Ground Equipment Technology	CIP 29.0401	1

See the 543 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about two years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians make?: The US median is $82,890 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 543 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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