How to break into aerospace without an aerospace degree
Most of the jobs on a rocket company's board aren't titled 'aerospace engineer.' Which degrees and backgrounds map onto them, and how to prove it.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts aerospace engineers as a small occupation: about 71,600 jobs, projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, with a May 2024 median pay of $134,830 and roughly 4,500 openings a year. Compare that with SpaceX’s public job board, which listed about 2,780 openings when we pulled it on Oct. 21. Most of those weren’t aerospace engineering jobs by title. That gap is your way in.
Rocket and spacecraft companies hire mechanical, electrical, software, materials, manufacturing, test, quality, supply chain and propulsion people. The titles on our jobs board from our first week tell the story: materials and processes engineer, thermal engineer, materials characterization technician, avionics engineer, logistics supervisor. SpaceX’s internship page says engineering, physics and math students can all apply. NASA’s OSTEM internships take STEM and non-STEM majors.
So the question isn’t “do I have the right degree.” It’s “which subsystem does my degree already describe?”
Mechanical engineers map onto structures, mechanisms, thermal and test. Electrical engineers map onto avionics, power and harnessing. Computer science maps onto flight software, ground software and test automation. Chemistry and chemical engineering map onto propulsion, materials, and propellant handling. Physics maps onto almost anything analytical, especially GNC and test.
Proving it
Without “aerospace” on the diploma, you need one artifact that says you can do the work in this context. The cheapest credible ones: a high-power rocket you built and certified (see our portfolio guide), a student CubeSat or rocketry team role with a specific subsystem you owned, or a test rig with data. Recruiters at hardware companies respond to “I designed X, it failed like Y, I changed Z.” They respond less to course lists.
Then apply to the role that matches your subsystem, not the one with the most exciting title. A materials engineer at a rocket company is an aerospace engineer in every way that matters to the next employer.
Our view: the degree filter in this industry is weaker than its reputation, and the “hands-on” filter is stronger. One finished hardware project does more than a second degree for most applicants.
What would change our mind: a sustained shift in postings toward requiring aerospace degrees specifically. We’ll keep checking titles and requirements on our board.
Not affiliated with NASA, SpaceX or any agency or company mentioned. Not investment advice. Disclaimer.