The aerospace industry comprises companies producing aircraft,
guided missiles, space vehicles, aircraft engines, propulsion units,
and related parts. Aircraft overhaul, rebuilding, and conversion
also are included.
Firms producing transport aircraft make up the largest segment of
the civil (nonmilitary) aircraft portion of the industry. Civil
transport aircraft are produced for air transportation businesses
such as airlines and cargo transportation companies. These aircraft
range from small turboprops to wide-body jets and are used to move
people and goods all over the world. Another segment of civil
aircraft is general aviation aircraft. General aviation aircraft
range from the small two-seaters designed for leisure use to
corporate jets designed for business transport. Civil helicopters,
which make up one of the smallest segments of civil aircraft, are
commonly used by police departments, emergency medical services, and
businesses such as oil and mining companies that need to transport
people to remote worksites.
Aircraft engine manufacturers, not the aircraft manufacturers,
produce the engines used in civil and military aircraft. These
manufacturers design and build engines according to the aircraft
design and performance specifications of the aircraft manufacturers.
Aircraft manufacturers may use engines designed by different
companies on the same type of aircraft.
Military aircraft and helicopters are purchased by governments to
meet national defense needs, such as delivering weapons to military
targets and transporting troops and equipment around the globe. Some
of these aircraft are specifically designed to deliver or guide a
powerful array of ordnance to military targets with tremendous
maneuverability and low detectability. Other aircraft, such as
unmanned aerial vehicles, are produced to gather defense
intelligence such as radio signals or to monitor movement on the
ground.
Firms producing guided missiles and missile propulsion units sell
primarily to military and government organizations. Although
missiles are viewed predominantly as offensive weapons, improved
guidance systems have led to their increased use as defensive
systems. This part of the industry also produces space vehicles and
the rockets for launching them into space. Consumers of spacecraft
include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), telecommunications companies,
television networks, and news organizations. Firms producing space
satellites are discussed with the computer and electronic product
manufacturing industry in this publication because satellites are
primarily electronic products.
In 2004, about 2,800 establishments made up the aerospace
industry. In the aerospace parts industry, most establishments were
subcontractors that manufacture parts and employ fewer than 100
workers. Nevertheless, 63 percent of the jobs in aerospace
manufacturing were in large establishments that employed 1,000 or
more workers (chart 1).
The Federal Government traditionally has been the aerospace
industry’s biggest customer. The vast majority of Government
contracts to purchase aerospace equipment are awarded by DOD. NASA
also is a major purchaser of the industry’s products and services,
mainly for space vehicles and launch services.
The aerospace industry is dominated by a few large firms that
contract to produce aircraft with Government and private businesses,
usually airline and cargo transportation companies. These large
firms, in turn, subcontract with smaller firms to produce specific
systems and parts for their vehicles. Government purchases are
largely related to defense. Typically, DOD announces its need for
military aircraft or missile systems, specifying a multitude of
requirements. Large firms specializing in defense products
subsequently submit bids, detailing proposed technical solutions and
designs, along with cost estimates, hoping to win the contract.
Firms also may research and develop materials, electronics, and
components relating to their bid, often at their own expense, to
improve their chances of winning the contract. Following a
negotiation phase, a manufacturer is selected and a prototype is
developed and built, then tested and evaluated. If approved by DOD,
the craft or system enters production. This process usually takes
many years.
Commercial airlines and private businesses typically identify
their needs for a particular model of new aircraft based on a number
of factors, including the routes they fly. After specifying
requirements such as range, size, cargo capacity, type of engine,
and seating arrangements, the airlines invite manufacturers of civil
aircraft and aircraft engines to submit bids. Selection ultimately
is based on a manufacturer’s ability to deliver reliable aircraft
that best fit the purchaser’s stated market needs at the lowest cost
and at favorable financing terms.
The way in which commercial and military aircraft are designed,
developed, and produced continues to undergo significant change in
response to the need to cut costs and deliver products faster. Firms
producing commercial aircraft have reduced development time
drastically through computer-aided design (CAD), which allows firms
to design and test an entire aircraft, including the individual
parts, by computer; the drawings of these parts can be sent
electronically to subcontractors who use them to program their
machinery. Increasingly, firms bring together teams composed of
customers, engineers, and production workers to pool ideas and make
decisions concerning the aircraft at every phase of product
development. Additionally, the military has changed its design
philosophy, using commercially available, off-the-shelf technology
when appropriate, rather than developing new customized
components.
The average aerospace products and parts production employee
worked 42.6 hours a week in 2004, compared with 40.8 hours a week
for all manufacturing workers and 33.7 hours a week for workers in
all industries. Working conditions in aerospace manufacturing
facilities vary. Many new plants, in contrast to older facilities,
are spacious, well lit, and modern. Specific work environments
usually depend on occupation and the age of the production line.
Engineers, scientists, and technicians frequently work in office
settings or laboratories, although production engineers may spend
much of their time with production workers on the factory floor.
Production workers, such as welders and other assemblers, may have
to cope with high noise levels. Oil, grease, and grime often are
present, and some workers may face exposure to volatile organic
compounds found in solvents, paints, and coatings. Heavy lifting is
required for many production jobs.
The rate of work-related injury and illness in the aerospace
products and parts industry was 4.7per 100 full-time workers in
2003. In comparison, cases of work-related injury and illness
throughout the private sector averaged 5.0 per 100 workers.
Aerospace manufacturing provided 444,000 wage and salary jobs in
2004. The largest numbers of aerospace jobs were in Washington and
California, although many also were located in Kansas, Texas,
Connecticut, and Arizona.
Employment data in this statement do not include aerospace
R&D-related workers who work in separate establishments. Under
the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), workers
in research and development establishments that are not part of a
manufacturing facility are included in a separate industry—research
and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.
This industry is covered in the statement on scientific research and
development services elsewhere in the Career Guide. Given the
importance of R&D work to the aerospace manufacturing industry,
however, aerospace-related R&D occupations and issues are
discussed in the following sections, even though much of their
employment is not included in the employment data in this
statement.
The design and manufacture of the technologically sophisticated
products of the aerospace industry require the input and skills of
various workers. Skilled production, professional and related, and
managerial jobs make up the bulk of employment. Those employed in
managerial and administrative support occupations manage the design
process and factory operations, coordinate the hundreds of thousands
of parts that are assembled into an aircraft, and ensure compliance
with Federal recordkeeping regulations. The aerospace industry has a
larger proportion of workers with education beyond high school than
the average for all industries.
The aerospace industry is on the leading edge of technology,
constantly striving to create new products and improve existing
ones. The industry invests a great deal of time and money in
research and development of aerospace products, and much of the work
is performed by professional and related workers, who made up 34
percent of the aerospace workforce in 2004 (table 1). In addition,
as mentioned in the previous section, many more aerospace-related
professionals work in the scientific research and development
services industry. A bachelor’s degree in a specialized field, such
as engineering, is required for many of these jobs; a master’s or
doctoral degree is preferred for a few. For many technician
occupations, 2 years of technical training after high school are
favored.
Professionals and technicians develop new designs and make
improvements to existing designs. Aerospace engineers are
integral members of the teams that research, design, test, and
produce aerospace vehicles. Some specialize in areas such as
structural design, guidance, navigation and control, and
instrumentation and communication. Electrical and electronics,
industrial, and mechanical engineers also contribute to the research
for and development and production of aerospace products. For
example, mechanical engineers help design mechanical
components and develop the specific tools and machines needed to
produce aircraft, missile, and space vehicle parts, or they may
design jet and rocket engines. Engineering technicians assist
engineers, both in the research and development laboratory and on
the manufacturing floor. They may help build prototype versions of
newly designed products, run tests and experiments, and perform a
variety of other technical tasks. One of the earliest users of
computer-aided design, the aerospace industry continues to use the
latest computer technology. Computer scientists and systems
analysts, database administrators, computer software
engineers, computer programmers, computer support
specialists; and network and computer systems
administrators are responsible for the design, testing,
evaluation, and setup of computer systems that are used throughout
the industry for design and manufacturing purposes.
Management, business, and financial occupations accounted for 18
percent of industry employment in 2004. Many advance to these jobs
from professional occupations. Many managers in the aerospace
industry have a technical or engineering background and supervise
teams of engineers in activities such as testing and research and
development. Industrial production managers oversee all
workers and lower level managers in a factory. They also coordinate
all activities related to production. In addition to technical and
production managers, financial managers; purchasing
managers, buyers, and purchasing agents; cost estimators;
and accountants and auditors are needed to negotiate with
customers and subcontractors and to track costs.
Of all aerospace workers, 37 percent are employed in production;
installation, maintenance, and repair; and transportation and
material-moving occupations. Many of these jobs are not specific to
aerospace and can be found in other manufacturing industries. Many
production jobs are open to persons with only a high school
education; however, special vocational training after high school is
preferred for some of the more highly skilled jobs.
Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems
assemblers usually specialize in one assembly task; hundreds of
different assemblers may work at various times on producing a single
aircraft. Assemblers may put together parts of airplanes, such as
wings or landing gear, or install parts and equipment into the
airplane itself. Those involved in assembling aircraft or systems
must be skilled in reading and interpreting engineering
specifications and instructions.
Machinists make parts that are needed in numbers too small
to mass-produce. Machinists follow blueprints and specifications and
are highly skilled with machine tools and metalworking. Tool and
die makers are responsible for constructing precision tools and
metal forms, called dies, which are used to shape metal.
Increasingly, as individual components are designed electronically,
these highly skilled workers must be able to read electronic
blueprints and set up and operate computer-controlled machines.
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
perform numerous quality-control and safety checks on aerospace
parts throughout the production cycle. Their work is vital to ensure
the safety of the aircraft.
The remaining jobs in the industry are in office and
administrative support, service, and sales occupations. Most of
these jobs can be entered without education beyond high school.
Workers in office and administrative support occupations help
coordinate the flow of materials to the worksite, draw up orders for
supplies, keep records, and help with all of the other paperwork
associated with keeping a business functioning. Those in service
occupations are employed mostly as guards and janitors and other
cleaning and maintenance workers. Sales workers are mostly wholesale
and manufacturing sales representatives and sales workers’
supervisors.
Table 1. Employment of wage and
salary workers in aerospace manufacturing by occupation, 2004 and
projected change, 2004-14 (Employment in
thousands)
Occupation
Employment, 2004
Percent change, 2004-2014
Number
Percent
Total, all occupations
444
100.0
8.2
Management, business, and financial
occupations
78
17.6
9.6
Industrial production managers
5
1.1
7.8
Engineering managers
9
2.0
9.0
Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and
farm products
9
2.0
7.8
Management analysts
10
2.3
7.8
Business operation specialists, all other
9
2.0
18.6
Accountants and auditors
4
1.0
7.8
Professional and related occupations
150
33.8
11.2
Computer software engineers
13
2.9
29.1
Computer systems analysts
6
1.3
18.6
Aerospace engineers
45
10.2
5.6
Industrial engineers
12
2.7
19.9
Mechanical engineers
13
3.0
9.0
Engineers, all other
7
1.6
9.1
Drafters, engineering, and mapping
technicians
23
5.3
8.5
Aerospace engineering and operations
technicians
5
1.2
7.8
Engineering technicians, except drafters, all
other
7
1.6
9.0
Sales and related occupations
5
1.2
8.6
Office and administrative support
occupations
36
8.0
-3.0
Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and
distributing occupations
14
3.1
-1.9
Secretaries and administrative assistants
7
1.6
-0.3
Office clerks, general
6
1.3
-4.0
Installation, maintenance, and repair
occupations
35
8.0
19.7
Avionics technicians
5
1.0
20.8
Aircraft mechanics and service
technicians
15
3.5
30.9
Maintenance and repair workers, general
5
1.1
7.8
Production occupations
121
27.2
4.1
First-line supervisors/managers of production
and operating workers
9
2.0
7.8
Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and
systems assemblers
16
3.6
7.8
Team assemblers
8
1.8
7.8
Computer-controlled machine tool operators,
metal and plastic
5
1.2
7.8
Machine tool cutting setters, operators, and
tenders, metal and plastic
11
2.5
-4.4
Machinists
16
3.6
7.8
Miscellaneous metalworkers and plastic
workers
5
1.2
-5.9
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and
weighers
14
3.1
-1.9
NOTE: May not add to
totals due to omission of occupations with small
employment.
Because employers need well-informed, knowledgeable employees who
can keep up with the rapid technological advancements in aerospace
manufacturing, the industry provides substantial support for the
education and training of its workers. Firms provide onsite,
job-related training to upgrade the skills of technicians,
production workers, and engineers. Classes teaching computer skills
and blueprint reading are common. Some firms reimburse employees for
educational expenses at colleges and universities, emphasizing
4-year degrees and postgraduate studies.
Professionals, such as engineers and scientists, require a
bachelor’s degree in a specialized field. For some jobs,
particularly in research and development, a master’s or doctoral
degree may be preferred.
Production workers may enter the aerospace industry with minimal
skills. Mechanical aptitude and good hand-eye coordination usually
are necessary. A high school diploma or equivalent is required, and
some vocational training in electronics or mechanics also is
favored.
Unskilled production workers typically start by being shown how
to perform a simple assembly task. Through experience, on-the-job
instruction provided by other workers, and brief formal training
sessions, they expand their skills. Their pay increases as they
advance into more highly skilled or responsible jobs. For example,
machinists may take additional training to become numerical tool and
process control programmers or tool and die makers. Inspectors
usually are promoted from assembly, machine operation, and
mechanical occupations.
Because of the reliance on computers and computer-operated
equipment, classes in computer skills are common. With training,
production workers may be able to advance to supervisory or
technician jobs.
To enter some of the more highly skilled production occupations,
workers must go through a formal apprenticeship. Machinists and
electricians complete apprenticeships that can last as long as 4
years. Apprenticeships usually include classroom instruction and
shop training.
Entry-level positions for technicians usually require a degree
from a technical school or junior college. Companies sometimes
retrain technicians to upgrade their skills or to teach different
specialties. They are taught traditional as well as new production
technology skills, such as computer-aided design and manufacturing,
and statistical process control methods.
Wage and salary employment in the aerospace product and parts
manufacturing industry is expected to grow by 8 percent over the
2004-14 period, slower than the 14-percent growth projected for all
industries combined. Employment in the aerospace industry has
declined in recent years as a result of a drastic reduction in
commercial transport aircraft orders, but a modest increase in
orders is expected over the projection period. The decline in orders
was caused by the reduction in air travel that resulted from the
terrorist attacks on the United States and severe financial problems
that many of the Nation’s airlines have experienced. However, an
increase in air traffic and the improving financial health of the
Nation’s airlines are beginning to reverse the trend.
The outlook for the military aircraft and missiles portion of the
industry is better. Concern for the Nation’s security has increased
the need for military aircraft and military aerospace equipment.
Although new employment opportunities in the defense-related sector
of the aerospace industry may not reach levels previously attained
during the Cold War, employment in this sector is expected to
rise.
Because of past reductions in defense expenditures and
competition in the commercial aircraft sector, there have been and
may continue to be mergers in the industry, resulting in layoffs.
Even though the number of large firms performing final assembly of
aircraft has been reduced, hundreds of smaller manufacturers and
subcontractors will remain in this industry.
In addition to some growth in employment opportunities for
professional workers in the industry, there should be job openings
arising from replacement needs, especially for aerospace engineers.
Many engineers who entered the industry in the 1960s are approaching
retirement. Among those in the aerospace manufacturing industry,
professionals typically enjoy more job stability than do other
workers. During slowdowns in production, companies prefer to keep
technical teams intact to continue research and development
activities, in anticipation of new business. Production workers, on
the other hand, are particularly vulnerable to layoffs during
downturns in the economy, when aircraft orders decline.
Production workers in the aerospace industry earn higher pay than
the average for all industries. Weekly earnings for production
workers averaged $1,019 in aerospace product parts manufacturing in
2004, compared with $659 in all manufacturing and $529 in all
private industry. Above-average earnings reflect, in part, the high
levels of skill required by the industry and the need to motivate
workers to concentrate on maintaining high quality standards in
their work. Nonproduction workers, such as engineering managers,
engineers, and computer specialists, generally command higher pay
because of their advanced education and training (table 2).
Table 2. Median hourly earnings of
the largest occupations in aerospace product and parts
manufacturing, May 2004
Occupation
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
All industries
Engineering managers
$49.79
$46.94
Aerospace engineers
36.43
38.03
Mechanical engineers
33.84
31.88
Industrial engineers
31.85
31.26
Management analysts
30.78
30.51
First-line supervisors/managers of production
and operating workers
27.78
21.51
Aircraft mechanics and service
technicians
20.60
21.77
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and
weighers
18.58
13.66
Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and
systems assemblers
18.29
17.79
Machinists
17.78
16.33
In 2004, 17 percent of all workers in the aerospace industry were
union members or covered by union contracts, compared with about 14
percent of all workers throughout private industry. Some of the
major aerospace unions include the International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers; the United Automobile, Aerospace,
and Agricultural Implement Workers of America; the Society of
Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA); and the
International Union of Allied Industrial Workers of America.
Suggested citation: Bureau of
Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to
Industries, 2006-07 Edition, Aerospace
Product and Parts Manufacturing, on the Internet
at http://www.bgmfg.com/Aerospace Product and Parts
Manufacturing.htm (visited
October 03, 2006).
Last Modified Date: October 4, 2006
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