Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
Operate, install, adjust, and maintain integrated computer/communications systems, consoles, simulators, and other data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments and equipment, which are used to launch, track, position, and evaluate air and space vehicles. May record and interpret test data.
11,280 people do this job in the US. $82,890 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 21%
- 3%
- 76%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 3%. Today's estimate: 4%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 11 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabricate and install parts and systems to be tested in test equipment, using hand tools, power tools, and test instruments.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 20% | 5 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | Stays with people | |
| Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 14% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Construct and maintain test facilities for aircraft parts and systems, according to specifications.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 13% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1 work week | Stays with people | |
| Design electrical and mechanical systems for avionic instrumentation applications.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 12% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Nov 2028 | |
| Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 10% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 9% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | 46%Half by Oct 2026 | |
| Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 2.1 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Finish vehicle instrumentation and deinstrumentation.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Adjust, repair, or replace faulty components of test setups and equipment.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 2.5 h50 min to 1 work day | Stays with people | |
| Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians17% now, 55% by 2028
- Avionics Technicians6% now, 15% by 2028
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians10% now, 25% by 2028
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians16% now, 49% by 2028
- Automotive Engineering Technicians13% now, 19% by 2028
- Robotics Technicians11% now, 26% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing5,090 people
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services1,900 people
- Scientific Research and Development Services1,350 people
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing810 people
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services670 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).