Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for structural analysis engineers in the United States
Are structural analysis engineer jobs in demand?
Structural analysis engineer job and salary trends over time
Structural analysis engineer jobs over time
Structural analysis engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,255 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,485 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 3,633 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,676 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,780 | 0.00% |
Average structural analysis engineer salary over time
Structural analysis engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $98,208 | $47.22 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $96,461 | $46.38 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $95,401 | $45.87 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $93,588 | $44.99 | +3.1% |
| 2021 | $90,789 | $43.65 | +1.7% |
Structural analysis engineer jobs by state
Most common states for structural analysis engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 202 | 29% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 709 | 8% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 76 | 8% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 395 | 7% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 441 | 6% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 330 | 6% |
| 7 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,903 | 5% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 355 | 5% |
| 9 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 238 | 5% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 217 | 5% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 158 | 5% |
| 12 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 403 | 4% |
| 13 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 259 | 4% |
| 14 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 63 | 4% |
| 15 | Alaska | 739,795 | 27 | 4% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 26 | 4% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 25 | 4% |
| 18 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 731 | 3% |
| 19 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 579 | 3% |
| 20 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 178 | 3% |
Most common cities for structural analysis engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seal Beach | 5 | 20% | $112,252 |
| 2 | Melbourne | 3 | 4% | $93,896 |
| 3 | Fridley | 1 | 4% | $99,404 |
| 4 | Wichita | 12 | 3% | $80,448 |
| 5 | Redondo Beach | 2 | 3% | $112,801 |
| 6 | Dubuque | 1 | 2% | $71,290 |
| 7 | Long Beach | 3 | 1% | $112,390 |
| 8 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $99,142 |
| 9 | Huntsville | 1 | 1% | $91,555 |
| 10 | Palmdale | 1 | 1% | $114,629 |
| 11 | Tempe | 1 | 1% | $113,205 |
| 12 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $81,622 |
| 13 | San Diego | 3 | 0% | $109,158 |
| 14 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $96,249 |
| 15 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $89,906 |
| 16 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $66,712 |
| 17 | Mesa | 1 | 0% | $113,093 |
Structural Analysis Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of structural analysis engineer experts
University of Cincinnati
University of Alabama at Huntsville
Weber State University
Pennsylvania State University
Colorado School of Mines
University of Washington
AIAA
Florida Institute of Technology
Prescott Campus
University of Florida
What Structural Analysis Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ms. Tracee Friess A.V.P.: Aerospace Engineers use knowledge of physics, mathematics, chemistry and other science and non-science disciplines to design flight and space vehicles for specific applications.
Paul Orkwis
DrUniversity of Cincinnati
Aerospace, Aeronautical, And Astronautical/Space Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Structural Analysis Engineer?
Paul Orkwis: With the advent of digital design and simulation, it is extremely important to remain skeptical of analyses that come out of a computer. By that I mean it is important to look for ways to check whether results are correct. It is tempting to take results at face value and not question their validity, but it is in asking how one knows the result is correct that they learn about quality. I also think that finding ways to exploit technology so that it works for you and simplifies your life is critical. Using coding co-pilots, for example, allows you to be more productive when writing software and information retrieval using AI will be a trusted tool in the near future. Verifying accuracy so that you can trust their help is vital.
What Structural Analysis Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Paul Orkwis: My first advice for a graduate is to continue to think like a student, that is, continue to learn. Aerospace Engineering is a highly dynamic field that is truly on the cutting edge. Skills that are valuable now may not be valuable in 5-10 years. The successful engineer will look for opportunities to learn new things and improve their skillset.
What will help Structural Analysis Engineers increase their earning potential?
Paul Orkwis: Have skills and be willing to do things that might at first appear to be uninteresting. Engineers are paid for what they know, and sometimes that means you need to do some of the less pleasant tasks in order to learn the basics is extremely important. When opportunities for learning present themselves, open that door, it will pay dividends in the end.
What general advice would you give to a Structural Analysis Engineer?
Saeed Khan: 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.
What Structural Analysis Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Saeed Khan: Keeping up with the latest technology in materials, control systems, airframes, and communication systems as it relates to their responsibility is essential alongside development of people skills and communication facilities that help them market their ideas to their team.
Michael Anderson
Department chairUniversity of Alabama at Huntsville
Department of civil and environmental engineering
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Structural Analysis Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Michael Anderson: The biggest trend is employers want motivated employees. Given the pandemic and the inability to work in typical office settings, employers need employees that have the self-motivation to work remotely.
What will help Structural Analysis Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. A. Tye Gardner Ph.D.: Getting a master's degree goes a long way to making candidates stand out and improving earnings. My recommendation is to tailor your MS degree to the specific field you're interested in working in, because employers really want to see candidates that are passionate about the field, and very few people survive a graduate degree without at least a little passion. Available salary data indicates that if you choose an affordable program (let's just say Weber State University), it takes only a few years to pay off the added cost, increases starting salaries, and dramatically improves long-term earning potential. Moreover, you can find electrical engineers with MBAs at C-level positions all over the country. It turns out being an EE makes you a good candidate for business leadership.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Structural Analysis Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Martin Pietrucha Ph.D.: One of the biggest trends that we will see is lesser reliance on brick and mortar office space for hosting workplace activities. While this will be a general trend, this will be particularly true in the civil engineering field since infrastructure is "outside," which already oriented many civil engineering activities toward "field" work. Further, as many engineering planning and design activities are solitary pursuits, working remotely on those tasks makes a great deal of sense. Design review, public involvement, and the like are activities that require social interaction. These undertakings will be better practiced in group settings like an office or public meeting space.
What's a good job out of college for Structural Analysis Engineers?
Martin Pietrucha Ph.D.: Any job when you are getting out of college is a good job. Government, consulting, small organization, large organization-each of these provide valuable experience for the engineer just starting out in a career. There is something to be learned from each of these fundamentally different kinds of experiences. In government service, you get great exposure to the regulatory side of the field. In consulting, you get to experience the business aspects of engineering and client relations. In a big organization, you get to bore down and develop some very specific expertise in a technical area. In a small firm, you get to do a little bit of everything.
M. Stephen Enders Ph.D.
Professor & Department HeadColorado School of Mines
Mining Engineering Department
What skills stand out on Structural Analysis Engineer resumes?
M. Stephen Enders Ph.D.: The most important thing that stands out in resumes is past job experiences, particularly student internships in relevant companies. This demonstrates a student's ability to work safely and effectively in the workplace. The companies that employ our students expect them to have a fundamental proficiency in the basic sciences and mathematics as well as in the principles of engineering. Although this is necessary, it is not sufficient for most companies. They prefer graduates with demonstrated strong interpersonal, communication, teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking skills. They also want to see evidence that graduates can integrate and analyze multidisciplinary datasets, and they would really like to see computer coding and modeling expertise. On top of all of these attributes, companies also want to hire leaders and those who have a fundamental understanding or societal issues that impact their industry. This is a lot to expect. Students can get some of this from coursework and active participation in student clubs and other organizations.
Additionally: Presentation skills - written and oral. Management skills - CSM mining engineers have 3 to 4 courses focusing on management (mine operations, safety, construction and project mgt.), plus opportunities to work as crew fore(wo)men at the Edgar mine, where they get to lead small teams of junior classmates and assume responsibility for safety and job completion.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Structural Analysis Engineers to find work opportunities?
Marco Salviato Ph.D.: I am a little biased here but, honestly, I cannot think of a better place than the Greater Seattle area and Washington State. We have the best aerospace companies in the world and the aerospace industry is an integral part of the economy and history of the State.
What skills stand out on Structural Analysis Engineer resumes?
Marco Salviato Ph.D.: I ask and I get asked this question a lot. Of course excellent academic performance goes a long way but it is not enough to be competitive. Most of the industrial partners I collaborate with tell me they are looking for "problem solvers", engineers who have strong fundamentals and who know how to apply them to solve engineering problems. They also look for "soft skills" such as project management experience, excellence in reporting scientific results and outcome of projects, leadership skills, and ability to work in a team.
My advice to students to nurture these skills is to engage as early as possible with student clubs such as UW Design Build Fly (DBF) or SARP (Society for Advanced Rocket Propulsion). Another good idea is to get involved as soon as possible in research activities conducted by faculty in the Department. Finally, I cannot stress enough the importance of participating in summer internships at aerospace companies. For all these activities to be relevant, it is important to make sure there are tangible outcomes and the contribution of the student is evident. A sentence such as, "I worked in a team of twenty people to design a new concept of bracket for an aerospace hydraulic fuel system. I was the leader of a team of five people in charge of the structural design. Leveraging Finite Element Analysis we were able to reduce the weight of the bracket of more than 50 percent compared to legacy design. In addition to the FEM simulations, my responsibilities included organizing weekly meetings with the team to discuss progress, deliverables, and timeline, presenting the results to the company, and writing monthly scientific reports" really stands out in a resume. All the industrial partners I work with told me that having these experiences with tangible outcomes in the resume is one of the key deciding factors for a new hire.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Structural Analysis Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Marco Salviato Ph.D.: The pandemic has hit some sectors hard while other industrial sectors have been basically unaffected. For instance, the demand for engineers in the commercial aviation industry has seen a slowdown due to the pandemic that will probably last a few years. On the other hand, the aerospace industry is thriving and it is growing at an unprecedented pace. If I can give some advice to young students deciding on their major, I would say they should follow their passion. If they are passionate about Aerospace Engineering, they should follow their dream. Aerospace Engineering will always be strong and aerospace engineers will be always in high demand thanks to their multidisciplinary preparation across structural mechanics, control theory, fluid mechanics, and system engineering.
What general advice would you give to a Structural Analysis Engineer?
Brian Talbot: Entering the aerospace workforce now is different in the COVID environment. It's important to find more avenues to get connected and expand your knowledge beyond the classroom. AIAA has hosted virtual recruiting events for our student members with companies like SpaceX, Ball Aerospace, and Lockheed Martin. We've created an online-based mentor-mentee matching program. We've also created new online educational opportunities that can differentiate candidates with both technical and soft skills. There are many opportunities out there, so look for new ways that you can find connections at the companies whose missions excite you. It's important for graduates to be proactive and take advantage of options available. It's through these channels that you can actively shape your career journey, even during challenging times.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Structural Analysis Engineers to find work opportunities?
Shem Malmquist: Aviation is not significantly restricted to geographical areas. That said, FedEx is in Memphis, UPS is in Louisville, and the defense industry jobs tend to be concentrated on the West Coast, and of course, Florida, although there are specific jobs in other areas. Willingness to relocate is essential for any applicant.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Structural Analysis Engineers in the next 5 years?
Shem Malmquist: Outside of the freight operators, most airlines are cutting back due to a loss of demand. I would expect that to last about 2 or 3 years, but retirements and attrition should start to increase demand again after that time.
What are the best companies to work for a Structural Analysis Engineer?
Shem Malmquist: The freight operators are the best choice as they are all expanding and hiring-FedEx, UPS, Atlas, Southern Air, etc. Someone who has just graduated will probably not have the flight experience yet to be hired as a pilot (unless they had considerable experience and returned to finish college). Still, there are many opportunities in non-flight positions. There are also job opportunities for the feeder aircraft for the larger operators.
For those who are in non-flight positions, there are also opportunities. Both FedEx and UPS employ many engineers, for example. Also, there are defense industry job positions that graduates should consider.
Laura Polk
Assistant Director, Career Services & Corporate RelationsPrescott Campus
Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Space Physics, Astronomy, & Cyber Intelligence and Security
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Structural Analysis Engineers to find work opportunities?
Laura Polk: It depends on what area of Mechanical Engineering the student is interested in. Here at Embry-Riddle alone, we offer concentrations in Robotics, Energy, and Propulsion. The job opportunities will depend on what particular area of Mechanical Engineering the student has chosen to specialize in. In general, there are great Mechanical Engineering opportunities all across the United States. But, if the student decided to specialize in Propulsion and wants to work on rockets, I would encourage them to start looking at opportunities in Washington, Arizona, California, Texas, New Mexico, and Alabama, since that's where many rocket companies have settled.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Structural Analysis Engineers?
Laura Polk: This is the million-dollar question. This global pandemic is a continually evolving situation, so my answer to this question was very different today than six months ago. I expect it to be different in another six months. But, my simple answer is, yes. The coronavirus pandemic will have an enduring impact on all of our lives, and no one will come out of this untouched. The good news is that mechanical engineering is still a very in-demand degree program.
Most graduates will find employment after graduation, as long as they are willing to keep their options open. The job outlook will look different for a mechanical engineering student wanting to work at an innovative startup versus a mechanical engineering student wishing to work for a large defense company. While many startups have to make more conservative financial decisions and may not be hiring, some defense companies have increased hiring during the pandemic. For example, Lockheed Martin added 5,000 new job postings over the summer.
My hope for this year's graduates is to graduate with a newfound appreciation for the positive change they can impart on the world. There is a lot in our world that needs to be fixed, and we need intelligence young people with innovative ideas to help improve some of our nation's most pressing obstacles.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Structural Analysis Engineers?
Bruce Carroll Ph.D.: The pandemic has a near term impact in terms of how classes are taught and in how companies are recruiting. Internships have become difficult during the pandemic. But so far, most major companies are continuing to actively recruit new aerospace engineers for permanent positions. The format of interviews has shifted to virtual methods. Career fairs are being held in virtual formats, and companies are making recruiting presentations to student organizations and holding open houses again in a virtual format. In some sense, the aerospace industries have been living in a virtual world for many years due to a large number of international projects. Practicing aerospace engineers are very comfortable with working remotely.
The longer-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic is unclear. Universities are preparing for budget cuts due to reductions in state revenues resulting from decreased spending during the pandemic. The federal government is better able to weather this economic storm, and we will simply have to wait and see the impact on federally funded programs related to spacecraft and military aircraft. The airline companies are struggling due to reduced travel demand. But these should be short-term disruptions and will resolve relatively quickly after the impact of the pandemic resolves. The long-term outlook for the current batch of aerospace engineering graduates remains positive.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Structural Analysis Engineers to find work opportunities?
Bruce Carroll Ph.D.: Aerospace jobs are available all across the US. Some pockets are well known, e.g. the locations of the large aerospace companies. There are also many startup companies in fields related to unmanned vehicles, drones, and personal urban aircraft. Companies in Florida and Georgia have been actively hiring graduates from our programs in recent years, and I think this will continue.
There is a strong demand in these two states related to military aircraft and armaments. This includes the maintenance of existing airframes and the development and production of new platforms. The commercial space industry is coming on strong with a large presence in Florida. There is also strong demand from both spacecraft and aircraft propulsion companies. The overall employment market continues to be strong for our region.
How do you envision technology impacting Structural Analysis Engineers in the next 5 years?
Bruce Carroll Ph.D.: Aerospace engineering is a very dynamic discipline that has always incorporated new and emerging technologies. We see growth related to autonomous systems for aircraft and spacecraft. Control systems are evolving and incorporating concepts from artificial intelligence and machine learning. Manufacturing technologies, in particular additive manufacturing, is having a huge impact on the aerospace industries. Specialized components are easier to produce. Manufacturing in space reduces the need to carry spare parts and makes long-duration space travel a closer reality. The incorporation of composite materials in aircraft and spacecraft systems is continuing to expand.
Active flow control and improved sensor technologies are resulting in various performance improvements, including higher efficiency in propulsion systems and reductions in acoustics signatures. Computational technologies and improvements to experimental techniques are reducing design cycles. Technology related to drones in urban settings for delivery and surveillance is becoming viable. Increased use of low altitude space vehicles is already expanding for communication networks. Over the next five years, aerospace systems will continue to evolve and incorporate the latest technology innovations.