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Aeronautical Engineering Technology

Types of Degrees Aeronautical Engineering Technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Aeronautical Engineering Technology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	290
Associate’s Degree	224
Bachelor’s Degree	274
Master’s Degree	356

What Aeronautical Engineering Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Aeronautical Engineering Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Aeronautical Engineering Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Aeronautical Engineering Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Aeronautical Engineering Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Aeronautical Engineering Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Aeronautical Engineering Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Processing Information	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Aeronautical Engineering Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Extensible markup language XML	Enterprise application integration software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Aeronautical Engineering Technology graduates include:

• Data Acquisition Technician
• Test Technician
• Flight Data Technician
• Aerospace Operations Technologist
• Systems Test Technician
• Engineering Technician
• Aerospace Engineering Technologist
• Flight Test Instrument Technician
• Engineering Specialist
• Altitude Chamber Technician
• Engineering Test Technician
• Aerographer
• Aerospace Mechanic
• Flight Readiness Technician
• Aerospace Physiological Technician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Aeronautical Engineering Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	43.5%
Postsecondary certificate	27.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	12.5%
Bachelor’s degree	12.5%
Some college courses	2.7%
Master’s degree	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Aeronautical Engineering Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 85.9% of Aeronautical Engineering Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	161	14.1%
Men	983	85.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Aeronautical Engineering Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	759	66.3%
Asian	35	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	141	12.3%
Black or African American	85	7.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	44	3.8%
Race Unknown	34	3.0%
International Students	32	2.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Aeronautical Engineering Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Aeronautical Engineering Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$58,128
4 years	$66,942
5 years	$75,102

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,102 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Aeronautical Engineering Technology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Aeronautical Engineering Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	2	2
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Aeronautical Engineering Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Aeronautical Engineering Technology graduates earn a median of $66,942 four years after completion — roughly 76% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician	6,829
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	5,996
Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General	4,395
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians	3,770
Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician	3,162
CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician	2,476
Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician	1,112
Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD	932
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	478
Marine Engineering Technology/Technician	68
3-D Modeling and Design Technology/Technician	40
Motorsports Engineering Technology/Technician	32

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.