Hiring Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians

What do aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians do?

• Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
• Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
• Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
• Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.
• Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.
• Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms.

Core tasks, O*NET OnLine, 17-3021.00.

What does it take to become one?

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

O*NET Job Zone 3, SVP (6.0 to < 7.0). O*NET OnLine.

Employers commonly list experience with Apache Hadoop, Atlassian JIRA, Autodesk AutoCAD, C++, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Extensible markup language XML for this role.

What do aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians get paid?

BLS OEWS, May 2025 publishes a wage for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians in 28 of the metro areas in this build. The median ranges from $62,130 to $125,160 a year depending on the metro, with a midpoint of $79,530. This is what employers pay, place of work, not a single national figure and not what any one person takes home.

BLS OEWS, BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 17-3021.

What does hiring one cost?

The same as any role: tier, not location or salary, sets the fee. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest published median for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians in this build is $125,160. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $25,032 to $37,548 on the first year salary alone, 20 to 30%.

Frequently asked

How fast can a aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians search fill?

23 to 35 days, 2 to 3x faster than a typical contingency search, per the recruiting provider's published figures.

What if the hire does not work out?

A 45-day replacement guarantee, at 50% off a repeat search for the same role.