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Career Details
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Career Details

17-3021.00 - 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.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
11,400
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
11,800
Estimate
Change in Employment
400.0
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+3.6%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
  • Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms.
  • Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.
  • Adjust, repair, or replace faulty components of test setups and equipment.
  • Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
  • Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.
  • Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
  • Fabricate and install parts and systems to be tested in test equipment, using hand tools, power tools, and test instruments.
Supplemental
  • Construct and maintain test facilities for aircraft parts and systems, according to specifications.
  • Finish vehicle instrumentation and deinstrumentation.
  • Exchange cooling system components in various vehicles.
  • Design electrical and mechanical systems for avionic instrumentation applications.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Mechanical
  • 90%
    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
 Engineering and Technology
  • 86%
    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
 Mathematics
  • 79%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Production and Processing
  • 76%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 74%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 English Language
  • 68%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Clerical
  • 67%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Physics
  • 67%
    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 67%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Education and Training
  • 61%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Administration and Management
  • 59%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 53%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Telecommunications
  • 52%
    Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
 Design
  • 50%
    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Indicating and recording instruments
  • Accelerometer sensors
  • Coordinate measuring machines CMM
  • Electronic torque testers
  • Force transducers
  • Gyroscopes
 Wrenches and drivers
  • Adjustable wrenches
  • Allen wrenches
  • Bleeder wrenches
  • Box end wrenches
  • Combination wrenches
  • Digital torque wrenches
  • Flat head screwdrivers
  • Hook spanner wrenches
  • Offset screwdrivers
  • Open end wrenches
  • Reed and Prince screwdrivers
  • Socket wrenches
  • Torque wrenches
  • Torx drivers
 Respiratory protection
  • Air-supplying respirators
  • Purifying respirators
 Cutting and crimping and punching tools
  • Aligning punches
  • Aviation snips
  • Center punches
  • Drive punches
  • Hacksaws
  • Hand snips
  • Pin punches
  • Prick punches
  • Wire crimpers
 Measuring and layout tools
  • Alignment squares
  • Straightedges
  • Tri-squares
 Forming tools
  • Ball peen hammers
  • Mallets
  • Soft face hammers
 Holding and clamping tools
  • Bench vises
  • Safety wire pliers
 Fall protection and rescue equipment
  • Body harnesses
  • Safety lanyards
 Length and thickness and distance measuring instruments
  • Bore gauges
  • Depth micrometers
  • Dial calipers
  • Digital calipers
  • Digital height gauges
  • Gauge blocks
  • Go/no-go gauges
  • Micrometers
  • Planer gauges
  • Plug gauges
  • Small hole gauges
  • Snap gauges
  • Spring calipers
  • Steel rules
  • Strain gauge balances
  • Telescoping gauges
  • Thickness gauges
  • Thread gauges
  • V blocks
  • Vernier calipers
 Metal cutting tools
  • Bottoming taps
  • Plug taps
  • Taper taps
 Welding and soldering and brazing supplies
  • Brazing equipment
  • Brazing hearths
  • Welding torches
 Non destructive examination equipment
  • Bubble emission inspection equipment
  • Dye penetrant inspection equipment
  • Eddy current inspection equipment
  • Fluorescent penetrant inspection equipment
  • Gamma ray testing equipment
  • Magnetic particle inspection equipment
  • Ultrasonic inspection equipment
  • X ray inspection equipment
 Metal milling machines
  • Computer numerical controlled CNC milling machines
  • Gantry mills
  • Multi-axis mills
  • Skin mills
 Lathes and turning centers
  • Computerized numerical control CNC lathes
  • Vertical turret lathes VTL
 Metals and metallurgy and structural materials testing instruments
  • Digital force gauges
  • Shakers
  • Vibration tables
  • Vibration testers
  • Vibration transducers
 Drafting supplies
  • Dividers
  • Layout compasses
  • Protractors
 Fire fighting equipment
  • Fire extinguishers
 Rough and finishing tools
  • Flat files
  • Half-round files
  • Knife files
  • Mill files
  • Precision files
  • Round files
  • Straight chisels
  • Vixen files
 Lifting equipment and accessories
  • Forklifts
  • Hydrasets
  • Overhead cranes
 Light and wave generating and measuring equipment
  • Infrared inspection equipment
  • Lasers
 Spectroscopic equipment
  • Mass spectrometers
 Paint systems
  • Paint booths
 Computers
  • Personal computers
  • Terminal computers
 Power tools
  • Power screwdrivers
 Igniters
  • Pyrotechnic initiators
 Welding machinery
  • Shielded arc welding tools
 Soldering machines
  • Soldering irons
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Data management and query software
  • Apache HadoopHOT
  • Customer information control system CICS
  • Microsoft AccessHOT
  • Microsoft SQL ServerHOT
  • Oracle softwareHOT
  • Structured query language SQLHOT
 Development software
  • Apache Jmeter
  • Bugzilla
  • C++HOT
  • Debugging software
  • Extensible markup language XMLHOT
  • Graphical user interface GUI design software
  • Graphical user interfaces GUI
  • Hewlett Packard LoadRunner
  • JavaScriptHOT
  • JUnitHOT
  • National Instruments LabVIEWHOT
  • Oracle JavaHOT
  • PythonHOT
  • SeleniumHOT
 Business function specific software
  • Atlassian JIRAHOT
  • Inventory software
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
  • Microsoft ProjectHOT
  • Microsoft SharePointHOT
 Industry specific software
  • Autodesk AutoCADHOT
  • Computer aided design CAD softwareHOT
  • Computerized numerical control CNC software
  • Dassault Systemes CATIAHOT
  • Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKSHOT
  • Data acquisition software
  • Vibration analysis software
 Finance accounting and enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP softwareHOT
  • SAP softwareHOT
 Operating environment software
  • Job control language JCL
  • LinuxHOT
  • UNIXHOT
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft VisioHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Word processing software
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Blue Ridge Community College
Brightpoint Community College
Central Virginia Community College
Germanna Community College
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
Mountain Empire Community College
Mountain Gateway Community College
New River Community College
Patrick & Henry Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Rappahannock Community College
Southside Virginia Community College
Southwest Virginia Community College
Virginia Peninsula Community College
Wytheville Community College