Will AI replace aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 11.9% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 3 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 5 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters. (1h 20m a shift)
• Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions. (1h 8m a shift)
• Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis. (1h 2m a shift)
• Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms. (55m a shift)
• Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications. (49m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 78% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 72% talk face to face with others every day
• 66% say a mistake would be very or extremely serious

On Indeed, job postings in the Industrial Engineering sector are at 124% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 38% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 1,100 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $82,890 a year ($39.85 an hour), 63% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $59,050 and $125,160 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 11.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 13,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 1,100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 11,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 650th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 13,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a post-secondary certificate: about 39% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Quality Control Analysis, Operations Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Repairing
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Apache Hadoop, Atlassian JIRA, Autodesk AutoCAD, C++, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Operate, test, and troubleshoot uncrewed aerial systems, commonly known as drones, to ensure optimal performance.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Robotics Technicians (0m touched, $74k median pay)
• Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (50m touched, $75k median pay)
• Photonics Technicians (0m touched, $78k median pay)
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (19m touched, $78k median pay)
• Automotive Engineering Technicians (1h 17m touched, $75k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 11 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.