How To Become A Propulsion Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a propulsion engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Saeed Khan

Engineering is such a broad discipline. There is already a number of specialties in engineering, and these specialties may also have sub-specialties. People who enjoy having different things to do would be happy to work in engineering. If you are interested, it may be overwhelming to check which is the best fit for you. If you like airplanes and rockets, you might want to check for a Propulsion Engineer position.

Propulsion Engineers oversee the design of the propulsion components. These components include jet engines, rocket motors, and compression systems. They oversee the workers who will build these components. They would then have to make sure that these components are working well. They are often found in the aerospace industry, given that their specialty is centered on propulsion.

If you have a special interest in building things and making the world safer, you can be a propulsion engineer. Of course, you need to undergo engineering studies, so you should also be inclined to undergo training.

What general advice would you give to a propulsion engineer?

Saeed Khan

Professor of Engineering Technology, Website

First of all, find a position that corresponds to their technical interests for the long run. Carefully seek out what the expectations of their chosen position are and identify the gaps in skills and knowledge required. Work ceaselessly to gain proficiencies that allow them to excel using every resource at hand.

ScorePropulsion EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $98,475

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.4

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 10.87%

Black or African American 4.24%

Hispanic or Latino 11.35%

Unknown 4.47%

White 68.77%

Gender

female 3.97%

male 96.03%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a propulsion engineer

Explore propulsion engineer education requirements

Most common propulsion engineer degrees

Bachelor's

72.0 %

Master's

13.5 %

Associate

8.0 %

Start to develop specific propulsion engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Propulsion System	15.44%
CAD	10.47%
MATLAB	10.02%
Test Data	6.36%
NASA	5.19%

Complete relevant propulsion engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New propulsion engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a propulsion engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real propulsion engineer resumes.

Research propulsion engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
Conduct FEA of design components.
Derive equations that are input to MATLAB for results.
Lead RF design/test engineer for structurally integrate AESA prototype.

Get propulsion engineer experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a propulsion engineer. The most common roles before becoming a propulsion engineer include engineer, research assistant team lead and engineering internship.

Apply for propulsion engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a propulsion engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams