# Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians

> Operate, install, adjust, and maintain integrated computer/communications systems, consoles, simulators, and other data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments and equipment, which are used to launch, track, position, and evaluate air and space vehicles. May record and interpret test data.

- **SOC code:** 17-3021.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-17-3021-00
- **Also known as:** Engineering Technician, Instrumentation Technician, Systems Test Technician, Test Technician, Avionics Installation Technician, Avionics Test Technician, Engineering Test Technician, Flight Test Instrument Technician
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
- Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
- Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
- Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.
- Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms.
- Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.
- Finish vehicle instrumentation and deinstrumentation.
- Adjust, repair, or replace faulty components of test setups and equipment.
- Fabricate and install parts and systems to be tested in test equipment, using hand tools, power tools, and test instruments.
- Construct and maintain test facilities for aircraft parts and systems, according to specifications.
- Design electrical and mechanical systems for avionic instrumentation applications.

**Emerging tasks** (O*NET):
- Operate, test, and troubleshoot uncrewed aerial systems, commonly known as drones, to ensure optimal performance.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Mechanical _(knowledge)_
- Engineering and Technology _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Physics _(Specialized Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Apache Hadoop _(hot technology)_
- Atlassian JIRA _(hot technology)_
- Autodesk AutoCAD _(hot technology)_
- C++ _(hot technology)_
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks _(hot technology)_
- Extensible markup language XML _(hot technology)_
- JavaScript _(hot technology)_
- JUnit _(hot technology)_
- Linux _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 59th percentile (Moderate) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 58th percentile (Moderate) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 46th percentile (Moderate) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 75th percentile (High) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 46th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 8.1% growth (Growing fast); 0.9k annual openings; 9.3k → 10.1k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $79,830; 9,060 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

---
_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-17-3021-00_