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

What is a flight test engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Brian Talbot

Flight test engineers determine if an aircraft is in the right condition to fly. They are usually skilled enough to work with various aircraft, and they go through a long and thorough process. Flight test engineers determine which data is essential and plan test flights that collate said data.

They may also analyze data collected and use it to develop a suitable strategy. Flight test engineers ensure that tested aircraft meet strict federal aviation administration performance regulations. Their jobs are critical to passenger safety because they identify problems and fix them before the plane is even boarded.

Flight test engineers are also responsible for developing test criteria for the aircraft. After collecting data on the tests, they create reports that highlight the problems and recommend suitable solutions.

To become a flight test engineer, applicants need a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or a related field. They also need soft skills like teamwork, analytical training, and attention to detail.

What general advice would you give to a Flight Test Engineer?

Brian Talbot

Senior Director, AIAA

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.

ScoreFlight Test EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.1

Avg. Salary $90,538

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 10.86%

Black or African American 4.24%

Hispanic or Latino 11.38%

Unknown 4.47%

White 68.75%

Gender

female 10.36%

male 89.64%

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

Newest jobs for Flight Test Engineer in Columbus, OH

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Key steps to become a flight test engineer

Explore flight test engineer education requirements

Most common flight test engineer degrees

Bachelor's

74.2 %

Master's

15.5 %

Associate

6.6 %

Start to develop specific flight test engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Control Room	6.91%
Data Analysis	6.45%
Test Procedures	6.42%
Avionics	5.70%
DOD	5.27%

Complete relevant flight test engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New flight test 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 flight test engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real flight test engineer resumes.

Research flight test engineer duties and responsibilities

Track and manage team budget, schedule, risks, change information, BOMs, labor and materials costs.
Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
Create complex flight test plans to meet DoD and FAA requirements.
Test facility engineer (TFE) responsible for design and development of test rigs, test stands, and fixtures.

Get flight test engineer experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a flight test engineer. The most common roles before becoming a flight test engineer include systems engineer, design engineer team lead and flight engineer.

Prepare your flight test engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your flight test engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a flight test engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Flight Test Engineer Resume templates

Build a professional Flight Test Engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Flight Test Engineer resume.

Apply for flight test engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a flight test 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

How do flight test engineers rate their job?