
With various options at hand, and a desire to have awesome career experiences, we all desire to work at something that will bring us happiness and the joy!
But have you ever felt the fear of unknown and falling while making decisions for your own life? If you have experienced that then we surely know all you want now, is to be damn sure with your career decision!
Even if you have not experienced that, you would still try to collect details that will bring better gains on the table. All things working out together helping you to have one amazing work experience!
Know that facing dilemmas in life is a good thing. Because only then we explore and strive to decide the best out of many!
But you don’t have to face all these things alone! How to decide and pick one between Aeronautical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering?
But have you ever felt the fear of unknown and falling while making decisions for your own life? If you have experienced that then we surely know all you want now, is to be damn sure with your career decision!
Even if you have not experienced that, you would still try to collect details that will bring better gains on the table. All things working out together helping you to have one amazing work experience!
Know that facing dilemmas in life is a good thing. Because only then we explore and strive to decide the best out of many!
But you don’t have to face all these things alone! How to decide and pick one between Aeronautical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering?
Head on to our blogs that bring deeper insight on this confusion if you shall pick one of these airplanes related engineering or not depending on your area of interest!
For those of you, who are confused to pick one from these two, here is a parallel drawn between these two:
For those of you, who are confused to pick one from these two, here is a parallel drawn between these two:

S.No | Criteria | Aerospace Engineering | Aeronautical Engineering |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Work Nature | Deals in exclusive work of aircrafts, weapons and/or spacecraft. | Exclusive work with aircrafts. |
2. | Specialisation | Designing of vehicles, systems and structures that operate in both air and in space. Like aircrafts, spacecraft, satellites and missiles. | Designing vehicles that operate within the earth’s atmosphere. |
3. | Basic Course needs |
● 4-year B.Tech course ● Masters of Aerospace Engineering (MAE) for 3 years Or M.SC. in Aerospace Engineering/Astronautics. |
● 3-year diploma course or 4 year B.E./B.Tech course ● ME/M.Tech for 2 years |
4. | Skills Needed |
● Analytical thinking ● Critical thinking ● Maths Skills ● Business Skills ● Problem Solving ● Writing Skills |
● Out of box thinking ● Creative Thinking ● Analytical Skills ● Flexibility |
5. | Job Roles | ● Manufacturing and testing aircraft, space shuttles or weapons. ● Developing new technologies for aerospace crafts, satellites or missiles. ● Developing systems for aircrafts. |
● Overlooking the process of parts manufacturing and aircrafts. ● Ensuring construction of a safe aircraft. ● Products’ thorough assessment. ● Potential issues identification. |
6. | Salary | ● At entry-level: 6 lakhs+ ● Graduate from IIT or similar reputed institution: 15 lakhs+ ● Engineer with experience: 20 to 30 lakhs ● $ 107,700 (average per year in abroad). |
● At entry-level : an average of 5-6 lakhs ● Graduate from IIT or similar reputed institution: 10-15 lakhs ● Engineer with 10-15 years of experience : 20+ lakhs ● $83,000 to $1,50,000(average per year in abroad) |
Similarities between Aerospace and Aeronautical engineering:
Both these fields show some similarities as well and these are:
Both these fields show some similarities as well and these are:
- Developing design proposals for vehicles
- Making sure the vehicles are safe and functional
- Specialists working in different functions of the aircraft or weapon like navigation systems etc.
Job hotspots for Aeronautical Engineers
Works for Commercial Airline Companies and Manufacturers.
Works for Commercial Airline Companies and Manufacturers.
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
- Defence Research and Development Laboratories (DRDO)
- Civil Aviation Department
- Air India
- Tata Advanced Systems
- Mahindra Aerospace
- Taneja Aerospace
- L&T
- Samtel Avionics
- Pawan Hans Helicopters
- Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)
- Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE)
- Boeing
- Lockheed-Martin
- Airbus

Job hotspots for Aeronautical Engineers
Recruited by reputed space and research centres like NASA or ISRO.
Recruited by reputed space and research centres like NASA or ISRO.
- NASA
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
- Defence Research and Development Laboratories (DRDO)
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL)
- Civil Aviation department
- Private airlines
- Flight clubs
- Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)
- Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE)
- National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL)
- Tata Advanced Systems
- Taneja Aerospace
- Mahindra Aerospace
- Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T)
- General Electric (GE)

- Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology, Kerala
- Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
- International Institute for Aerospace Engineering and Management, IIAEM Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
- University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun
- MIT
- Stanford
- Delft University of Technology

Aeronautical Engineering Universities
- IIT Bombay
- IIT Madras
- IIT Kharagpur
- IIT Kanpur
- Indian Institute of Science
- University of Petroleum and Studies, Dehradun
- Hindustan University

Fun Facts!
- 12th background with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics is a must for Aerospace engineering and Aeronautical engineering(with good percentage!)
- Students with Master’s degree under both fields can pursue PhDs for specialised skills and expertise.
- Aeronautics engineers are 10th among the top 20 highest paying jobs in the U.S based on mid-career pay!
- Aeronautical engineering is an emerging field of engineering study
Did you know?
-
- Abroad an aerospace engineer earns $ 107,700 a year.
- Aeronautical Engineering is a specialised branch of engineering and one of the best undergraduate programs in aviation.
- Aerospace is a Broader branch of engineering where students learn about the analysis, synthesis, and design of aeronautical and aerospace vehicles.
- Both engineers work directly within the aerospace industry, designing and developing flight-worthy aircraft.
- Aeronautical Engineers must possess expertise in aeroacoustics or fluid dynamics. It means they should be well aware with the science of noise generation, turbulence, propagation, interaction with structures, and reception from fluid motion. The subjects would provide insight into turbulence, fluid dynamics, mathematics, and computing.
- Aerospace Engineers should have expert knowledge in aero or thermodynamics. It means the study of the exchange of heat between solids and gases, importantly of the heating effect on aircraft flying through the air at very high speeds.

Endnotes:
If you want to work in the aircraft building industry then aeronautical engineering is the right course for you. But if you want to work in the space industry, then aerospace engineering is the right branch for you.
Did this article made you even more confused whether you should go in any of these careers or not? There might be something you need to discuss before making a decision about your carer! Did you try reaching us on our numbers? We assure you, we are always reachable, either over call or on our Social profiles.
Did this article made you even more confused whether you should go in any of these careers or not? There might be something you need to discuss before making a decision about your carer! Did you try reaching us on our numbers? We assure you, we are always reachable, either over call or on our Social profiles.
