Have you ever looked at massive rockets and spacecraft and wondered how they’re built and how they work?
The answer is Aerospace Engineering!
Aerospace Engineering is that branch which deals with the design, development, testing, and production of aircraft and related systems like missiles, rocket-propulsion systems, space shuttles etc.
The original term for “Aerospace Engineering” was “Aeronautical Engineering”. However, with advancements in technology and the expansion of engineering to include spacecraft operating in outer space, the term evolved into “Aerospace Engineering.”
Aerospace engineering came into existence in the late 19th to early 20th century. Aerospace engineers launch its first American satellite on 31st January 1958.
The Aerospace engineering is now in high demand and focuses on designing, construction, development, testing and maintenance of commercial and military aircraft and spacecraft.
Learn more About – Engineering Courses After 12th
How to Become an Aerospace Engineer
A person who specializes in Aerospace engineering and holds a bachelor’s degree in this field is generally referred to as an “Aerospace Engineer”.
To pursue Aerospace engineering candidates have to pass 12th grade with Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics subject.
For admission to B.E/B.Tech (Aerospace engineering) courses candidates have to qualify JEE Main or any other top engineering entrance exams.
Feeling Interested!!
Then go ahead and read this article thoroughly to know about Aerospace engineering course details, eligibility criteria, job prospects and salary.
Aerospace Engineering Course Details
The aerospace engineering is the branch of engineering that focuses on the development, design, testing, and production of aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems.
The course duration of aerospace engineering is 4 years and candidates can pursue B.E. or B.Tech in AE after qualifying 10+2 examination.
Below are the key highlights of aerospace engineering course after 12th:
| Aerospace Engineering (AE) | Details |
| Courses Name | B.Tech in aerospace engineering |
| Course Level | Undergraduate (UG) |
| Course Duration | 4 years |
| Eligibility Criteria | 10+2 (PCM) |
| Entrance Exams | JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, VITEEE & other state level Entrance Exams |
| Admission Process | JEE Main + Counselling Process |
| Course fee | INR 50000 – 20 lakh |
| Top Colleges | IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, BITS Pilani, Manipal University |
| Average Salary | INR 6-20 LPA (Approx) |
| Career Scope | Public Sector (Space research organizations), Private Sector (aircraft companies, space travel companies, defence manufacturing companies) |
| Job Profiles | Aerospace engineer, avionics engineer, flight test engineer, propulsion engineer, research scientist |
| Top Recruiters | Indigo, Boeing, SpaceX, HAL, ISRO, Airbus |
Not interested in B.Tech?
Read about best diploma in Engineering courses after 12th
The core components of Aerospace Engineering are:
- Radar Cross-Section
- Fluid Mechanics
- Astro-dynamics
- Statics and Dynamics (engineering mechanics)
- Mathematics
- Electrotechnology
- Control engineering
- Aircraft structures
- Materials science
- Solid mechanics
- Aeroelasticity
- Avionics
- Risk and reliability
- Noise control
- Aeroacoustics
- Flight test
Aerospace engineering integrates all these elements to design a fully functional aerospace vehicle.
Eligibility Criteria
For bachelor courses like B.Tech or B.E., students must have passed 12th grade with PCM group having minimum 50% marks. The percentage of marks for admission to IITs and top private engineering colleges varies as per their admission guidelines.
To be eligible for master’s courses like M.Tech, students must have a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree in Aerospace engineering. Candidates holding master’s degree will be eligible to pursue doctoral courses in this field.
Courses in Aerospace Engineering
There are numerous courses available in the field of Aerospace Engineering. Students can pursue a Bachelor’s degree, advanced diploma, Master’s degree, and even Ph.D. programs in this field.
Top courses available in aerospace engineering field are listed below:
Undergraduate courses:
Postgraduate courses:
- Master of Aerospace Engineering (MAE)
- Master of Science in Aeronautics & Astronautics
- M. Sc. Aerospace Engineering
Doctoral Courses
- Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering
Duties of an Aerospace Engineer
Some of the core duties of an aerospace engineer are:
- An aerospace engineer develops, maintains and tests the performance of civil and military aircraft, missiles, Satellites and space vehicles that meets the customer requirements.
- Settling the issues that arise during the design, development and testing processes.
- Modifying design to inbuilt some new functions and improve safety features.
- Performing ground and flight-testing programmes on prototypes.
- Estimate feasibility, productibility cost and production time of an aerospace vehicle.
- Write and review technical reports.
Admission Process
For admission to B.Tech (Aerospace Engineering) programme, candidates needs to qualify JEE Main 2025 examination.
JEE Main and JEE Advanced are well-known national level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate engineering courses in IITs, NITs and other top tier engineering colleges of the country.
Many private institutions/Universities conducts their own entrance test for granting admission in B.Tech programme. These include BITSAT, VITEEE and Manipal MET.
After qualifying the above entrance examinations, candidates have to participate in the counselling process and complete the admission formalities.
Top Aerospace Engineering Colleges in India
In India, many top colleges & universities offers various courses in Aerospace Engineering, some of the top colleges are listed below:
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
- Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram
- Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh
- National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy
- Indian Institute of Aeronautics, Patna
- Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai
Career Options
“Job opportunities are endless for an Aerospace Engineer”
An Aerospace Engineer can work in both government & private sectors. There are many job opportunities for aerospace engineers in India as well as abroad.
Basically an Aerospace Engineer design, develops, researches, test and maintains the performance of military & civil aircraft, rockets, missiles, weapons systems, satellites, etc.
Major Job opportunities for Aerospace Engineers are available in Air Force, Airlines, Corporate Research Companies, Helicopter Companies, Defence Ministry, Aviation Companies, NASA, Flying clubs, Aeronautical Laboratories, Aircraft manufacturers, government owned air services and many others.
Job opportunity in the field of teaching is also open for candidates possessing master’s degree in aerospace engineering.
Aerospace Engineering Job Profiles
Some of the popular aerospace engineering job profiles are:
- Aerospace Engineer
- Avionics Engineer
- Flight Test Engineer
- Propulsion Engineer
- Systems Engineer
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME)
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Research Scientist
- Thermal design engineers
Top Recruiters
In India and abroad, there are many aerospace companies which recruit aerospace engineering graduates. Some of which include:
- Air India
- Indigo
- SpaceX
- Boeing
- Airbus
- Lockheed Martin
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
- Defence research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
- Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
- Civil Aviation Department
- Tata Advanced Systems Limited
- Mahindra Aerospace
- L&T
- Samtel Avionics
- Pawan Hans Helicopters
- National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL)
Salary Packages
The aerospace and aeronautical engineers are some of the highly paid jobs both in India and Internationally. The entry level salary for aerospace engineers in India typically range between ₹6-₹10 lakh per annum.
The salary largely depends on the factors like candidates qualifications, experience, company and job profile etc. The Mid level engineers with 4-5 years of experience can earn anywhere between ₹12-15 lakh per annum.
Graduates working in top research organizations like ISRO, DRDO earn as per the government Payscale which ranges between ₹8-25 lakh per annum.
Aerospace engineers have huge opportunity to work abroad in the countries like USA, Germany, UK and Canada. In U.S. the average salary of for aerospace engineers is approximately $85,000-$125,000 per year, with experienced professionals can earn $150,000 annually or more.
The renowned private aerospace companies like SpaceX, Boeing, Airbus offers handsome salary packages with many additional benefits.
Books & Study Materials
you can find a large numbers of books, volumes, journals on Aerospace Engineering. Here we have listed some of the best books which will help you in understanding the basic to advanced concepts of aerospace engineering:
- Flight Stability and Automatic Control – Nelson, R.C
- Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Flight Mechanics – McCormick
- Aircraft Structures – Peery, D.J. and Azar, J.J
- Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach – by Dan Raymer
- Airframe Stress Analysis and Sizing – by Michael Niu
- Aircraft Propulsion – Saeed Farokhi
- Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion – Philip Hill
- Compressible Fluid Flow – Patrick H. Oosthuizen
- System Dynamics- William J. Palm III
- Gas Turbine Theory – Henry Cohen
- Aircraft Performance & Design – John D. Anderson Jr.
So now if you are ready to make your career as an Aerospace Engineer… then go ahead and make your dream come true.
Career in Aerospace Engineering FAQs
For any queries regarding Career in Aerospace Engineering, you may leave your comments in the comment box.
sir…how much does your nationality affect on getting job in foreign land…Is it difficult to get chance to work in space industry or millitary in USA or any other country for a student of a country like NEPAL. Also…in the private sector in foreign country
Nationality can affect job prospects in foreign space or military sectors, as these often require citizenship or security clearance. In the private sector, skilled candidates from Nepal or other countries may still find opportunities, especially in roles like Tech, consulting, finance, research etc.
what is salary for aerospace engineer in ISRO or any other companies?
The starting salary for an aerospace engineer at ISRO can range from ₹7 to ₹10 lakhs per annum.
Now I am 11 what would I take EEE,ECE,orEC
ME is a good option, otherwise EC is also a good option.
Hii can i get entrance exam after bsc aeronautics for Mtech avionics.
For admission in Mtech avionics, candidates need a UG degree in B.Tech or an equivalent discipline.
Sir now I am in 11th standard. I wanted to be an aerospace enginneering. Which should e the right choice for me to be an aerospace enginner.
You should pursue Aeronautical or Aerospace engineering after 10+2.
I’m in plustwo.I’m interested in astronomy but I’m really confused that which is better option and scope in future bsc astrophysics or aerospace engineering???????
Sir i will study aerospace EGININRING in centurion university? I will pass diploma. It is better or not.. After get the aerospace EGININRING degree how much salary will get the job
isaerospace engineering have scope in india?
I’m doing diploma in mechanical engineering but after diploma I want to pursue for areospace enginnering how can I pursue for it
What is the scope to become successful in this career
Is VIT Bhopal good for Aerospace engineering?
Hello sir,
I finished aeronautical engineering. Currently i have no job opportunities. And i know the cata. How do i make my job opportunities. Please give some tips to me
Sir!plse help me.Which college is best for AEROSPACE ENGINEERING in TAMILNADU state?plse reply
You can do a bit research on this. make a list of all those college offering AE, then check their placement record, you can talk to the pass out students or look for the alumini record. Check the education quality and training facilities provided by these college or not.
After diploma how I will do aeronautical engineering thank Q sir give me replay
you can pursue diploma in mechanical engg and then you can appear for B.Tech in aeronautical engg.
Hi, I am Altaf ravjani….I finished with 2 year of b.tech aerospace in haa(Hindustan aviation academy) Bangalore, ..can anyone suggest me….which kind of job i will get after completion of b.tech…..and can I become a pilot??…plz suggest
My dream is aerospace engineering .I have taken admission in privet university .is there I
is job opportunities
Hi sir I completed my b.tech in AE.in 2014.I don’t know how I can get a job and training plz tell me what should I do know I feel very sad about not getting a job or training in that field so plz tell me what is next better for me as soon as well bye
aerospace engineering scopes
hello actuly i want to know that exam of jee main is necessary for this field
yes.
Yes but in som reputed institutions you may go through KVPY
Hello actuly i want to know that exam of jee main is necessary for this field
Nice