Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
SOC Code: 17-3021
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians carries a 29% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $79,830 and +8.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 9,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 29% AI exposure, Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians sits 8 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 26% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
80/100
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B+ $79,830
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A +8.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B 29% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Fast growth (67/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
29% Lower than most lower than 74% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 17-3021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
- 2. Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
- 3. Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
- 4. Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.
- 5. Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.
- 6. Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms.
- 7. Finish vehicle instrumentation and deinstrumentation.
- 8. Adjust, repair, or replace faulty components of test setups and equipment.
- 9. Fabricate and install parts and systems to be tested in test equipment, using hand tools, power tools, and test instruments.
- 10. Construct and maintain test facilities for aircraft parts and systems, according to specifications.
Key Skills Required
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Troubleshooting
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Writing
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
- Physics
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians?
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians has an AI exposure score of 29%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians is projected to grow by 8.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 9,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians?
Key skills for Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians include Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Operations Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is Associate's degree.
How much do Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians earn?
The median annual wage for Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians is $79,830, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians?
The typical entry-level education for Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians is Associate's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians?
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (29% here).
- Biochemists and biophysicists · AI exposure 29%
- Construction managers · AI exposure 29%
- Crane and tower operators · AI exposure 29%
- Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay · AI exposure 29%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+8.1% here).
- Engineering teachers, postsecondary · growth +8.1%
- Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers · growth +8.1%
- Tour and travel guides · growth +8.1%
- Avionics technicians · growth +8.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 18 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).