Skills
Aerospace Engineer Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in aerospace engineers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do aerospace engineers need?
Aerospace Engineers need technical skills such as aerodynamics, structures, and propulsion, plus people skills like problem-solving and teamwork. They also use tools such as CATIA or NX and ANSYS.
Technical (hard) skills
- Aerodynamics
- Structures
- Propulsion
- CFD and FEA
- Controls
- CAD
People (soft) skills
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
- Attention to detail
- Communication
Tools, equipment and technology
- CATIA or NX
- ANSYS
- MATLAB
- CFD software
- Wind tunnels
- Python
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how aerospace engineers put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Aerodynamics” and “Structures.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “problem-solving,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as PE license near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our aerospace engineer glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Aerospace Engineer training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.