Careers: Aerospace

What is Aerospace?

Aerospace is the industry that designs, builds, tests, and operates aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, missiles, and the systems that support them. It is one of the largest and most technically demanding industries in the world, and it goes far beyond defense contracting. Commercial aviation, space exploration, satellite communications, and urban air mobility are all part of this sector.

The big names you know - Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, Raytheon - all have massive commercial divisions alongside their defense work. Then there are the newer players - SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Relativity Space, Sierra Space - that are pushing boundaries in commercial space. This is not your grandfather's aerospace industry. It is moving fast, hiring aggressively, and veterans are a natural fit.

What Do You Actually Do?

Aerospace is broad, so the day-to-day varies dramatically depending on your role. Here is what a typical week looks like across common positions:

Systems Engineer:

• Monday - Wednesday: Requirements analysis, system architecture reviews, cross-team integration meetings. You spend 40% of your time in meetings and 60% doing technical work.
• Thursday: Design reviews, testing coordination, documentation updates.
• Friday: Status reports, planning for next sprint, occasional lab time.

Program Manager:

• Monday: Kickoff meetings, schedule reviews, risk assessments. Your calendar is stacked from 8AM to 5PM.
• Tuesday - Thursday: Customer meetings, budget tracking, milestone reviews, managing subcontractors, putting out fires.
• Friday: Reporting up to leadership, preparing for next week, maybe catching up on the emails you ignored all week.

Manufacturing/Production:

• Shift-based work. Early mornings or nights depending on the production line.
• Hands-on assembly, quality inspections, process improvement.
• Fast-paced, physical, and detail-oriented. Mistakes are expensive.

Roles Within Aerospace

Qualifications by Level

Compensation

Aerospace compensation is competitive but generally below Big Tech for equivalent engineering roles. The trade-off is stability, mission, and often a security clearance that becomes its own asset. Here are real numbers:

Note: SpaceX, Blue Origin, and some startups offer equity that can be very valuable but comes with higher risk. Legacy primes (Boeing, Lockheed, etc.) offer stability, pensions in some cases, and strong 401(k) matches.

Do Veterans Fit?

Aerospace is one of the strongest industry fits for veterans. Period. Here is why:

What translates directly:

• Pilots and flight operations: Military pilots and flight engineers are in extremely high demand. Your experience flying or maintaining military aircraft is directly applicable.
• Program management: If you managed programs, budgets, or acquisitions in the military, aerospace PMs do the same thing on the commercial side.
• Security clearances: An active TS/SCI is worth $10K-$30K in additional compensation. Companies will pay a premium for cleared talent.
• Systems thinking: Military officers and senior NCOs are trained to think in systems. Aerospace engineering is fundamentally about systems integration.
• Safety culture: The military's obsession with safety, checklists, and risk management maps perfectly to aerospace quality standards.

What does not translate as well:

• Military engineering experience is valued but may not substitute for a formal engineering degree at most companies.
• The pace at legacy aerospace companies can feel frustratingly slow compared to military ops tempo.
• Corporate bureaucracy is different from military bureaucracy - equally painful, but in different ways.
• If you do not have an engineering degree, your path into technical roles is limited. PM and operations roles are more accessible.

Best-fit military backgrounds:

• Pilots (any airframe) - commercial aviation, flight test, business development
• Aviation maintenance (15-series Army, AD/AM/AE Navy) - manufacturing, quality, maintenance engineering
• Missile/space operators (Army 14-series, Air Force 13S) - mission ops, systems engineering
• Acquisitions officers and NCOs - program management, contracts
• Intelligence analysts with TS/SCI - cleared roles in satellite and C4ISR programs
• Combat engineers and EOD - systems engineering, test engineering

How to Break In

1. Leverage your clearance. If you have an active clearance, lead with it. Many aerospace roles require one, and the backlog to get new clearances is 12-18 months. You are already ahead.
2. Target veteran hiring programs. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris all have dedicated military hiring pipelines. Use them.
3. Get your PMP. If you are going the program management route, a PMP certification combined with military experience makes you immediately competitive.
4. Consider a technical degree. If you want an engineering role and do not have a BS in engineering, use your GI Bill. Aerospace companies rarely waive the degree requirement for engineering positions.
5. Attend industry events. AIAA conferences, Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, and the Farnborough/Paris Air Shows are major networking opportunities.
6. Join professional organizations. AIAA, INCOSE, and PMI all have veteran-friendly chapters and networking events.
7. Apply to rotational programs. Boeing's, Northrop's, and Lockheed's rotational development programs are specifically designed for veterans transitioning into the industry.

Geographic Considerations

Aerospace is heavily concentrated in specific regions. Where you live matters more than in most industries:

Remote work is limited in aerospace due to classification requirements, hardware work, and facility security. Expect to be on-site 3-5 days per week for most roles. Hybrid schedules are becoming more common for software and business roles.