Mechanical engineer to aerospace engineer
A mechanical engineer already meets 50% of what the aerospace engineer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
53.7/ 100
1 How much of what an aerospace engineer is expected to do is already part of a mechanical engineer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the aerospace engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An aerospace engineer role treats 11 of its required skills as things a mechanical engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adjust engineering designs
- aircraft mechanics
- approve engineering design
- assess financial viability
- computer simulation
- engineering principles
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 21 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An aerospace engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a mechanical engineer background worth leading with.
- already held aerodynamics engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held mathematical modelling natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held fluid mechanics engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held aircraft mechanics engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held computer simulation information and communication technologies (icts)
- already held create a product's virtual model communication, collaboration and creativity
All 21 carried skills, including the 11 the aerospace engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 26 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn aerospace engineering required
- still to learn manufacturing processes required
- still to learn production processes required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- optional, not held guidance, navigation and control optional
- optional, not held unmanned air systems optional
- optional, not held state estimation optional
- still to learn execute feasibility study required
- optional, not held analyse production processes for improvement optional
- optional, not held oversee assembly operations optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- still to learn ensure aircraft compliance with regulation required
- still to learn quality standards required
- still to learn troubleshoot required
- optional, not held plan test flights optional
- optional, not held apply advanced manufacturing optional
- optional, not held control production optional
- optional, not held develop test procedures optional
- optional, not held manage product testing optional
5 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an aerospace engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 ensure aircraft compliance with regulation practise this
- 02 aerospace engineering study this
- 03 execute feasibility study practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 21 skills that carry over
- already held adjust engineering designs skill
- already held aircraft mechanics knowledge
- already held approve engineering design skill
- already held assess financial viability skill
- already held computer simulation knowledge
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held industrial engineering knowledge
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held technical drawings knowledge
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held CAE software knowledge
- already held aerodynamics knowledge
- already held create a product's virtual model skill
- already held design principles knowledge
- already held design prototypes skill
- already held draft design specifications skill
- already held fluid mechanics knowledge
- already held material mechanics knowledge
- already held mathematical modelling knowledge
- already held mechanical engineering knowledge
The 5 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held defense system optional
- optional, not held stealth technology optional
- optional, not held use CAD software optional
- optional, not held use CAM software optional
- optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
- optional, not held build a product's physical model optional
- optional, not held synthetic natural environment optional
18 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held defense system optional
- optional, not held guidance, navigation and control optional
- optional, not held plan test flights optional
- optional, not held stealth technology optional
- optional, not held synthetic natural environment optional
- optional, not held unmanned air systems optional
- optional, not held analyse production processes for improvement optional
- optional, not held apply advanced manufacturing optional
- optional, not held build a product's physical model optional
- optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
- optional, not held control production optional
- optional, not held develop test procedures optional
- optional, not held manage product testing optional
- optional, not held oversee assembly operations optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- optional, not held state estimation optional
- optional, not held use CAD software optional
- optional, not held use CAM software optional
71 held skills the aerospace engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role 3D modelling knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise on machinery malfunctions skill
- not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
- not needed by the target role automotive engineering skill
- not needed by the target role blueprints knowledge
- not needed by the target role build machines skill
- not needed by the target role building automation knowledge
- not needed by the target role calibrate mechatronic instruments skill
- not needed by the target role combined heat and power generation knowledge
- not needed by the target role continuum mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role coordinate engineering teams skill
- not needed by the target role create technical plans skill
- not needed by the target role define part requirements skill
- not needed by the target role define technical requirements skill
- not needed by the target role design a domotic system in buildings skill
- not needed by the target role design a solar absorption cooling system skill
- not needed by the target role design automation components skill
- not needed by the target role design drawings knowledge
- not needed by the target role design engineering components skill
- not needed by the target role design heating and cooling emission systems skill
- not needed by the target role determine production capacity skill
- not needed by the target role develop mechatronic test procedures skill
- not needed by the target role disassemble engines skill
- not needed by the target role electric current knowledge
- not needed by the target role electromechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role evaluate engine performance skill
- not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role gather technical information skill
- not needed by the target role hydraulics knowledge
- not needed by the target role inspect engine rooms skill
- not needed by the target role install automation components skill
- not needed by the target role install mechatronic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role instruct on energy saving technologies skill
- not needed by the target role integrated design knowledge
- not needed by the target role keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes skill
- not needed by the target role maintain electrical equipment skill
- not needed by the target role maintain robotic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage engine-room resources skill
- not needed by the target role manage supplies skill
31 further entries not listed here
11 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn aerospace engineering required
- still to learn manufacturing processes required
- still to learn production processes required
- still to learn quality standards required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- optional, not held defense system optional
- optional, not held guidance, navigation and control optional
- optional, not held stealth technology optional
- optional, not held synthetic natural environment optional
- optional, not held unmanned air systems optional
- optional, not held state estimation optional
Other moves recorded from mechanical engineer
- fluid power engineer 66% covered · moderate
- robotics engineer 59% covered · moderate
- aerodynamics engineer 57% covered · moderate
- rotating equipment engineer 57% covered · moderate
- container equipment design engineer 55% covered · moderate
- mechanical engineering technician 55% covered · moderate
- packing machinery engineer 54% covered · moderate
- aerospace engineering drafter 52% covered · moderate
Common questions about this move
Can a mechanical engineer become an aerospace engineer?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A mechanical engineer already covers 50% of what an aerospace engineer is expected to do: 21 skills carry over, 11 of which the aerospace engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a mechanical engineer need to become an aerospace engineer?
8 required skills are missing, plus 18 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is ensure aircraft compliance with regulation.
How hard is the move from mechanical engineer to aerospace engineer?
Its learning distance is 53.7 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.