Exceedingly demanding and exceptionally well paying - the job of a rocket scientist is not for every...

1. Rocket Scientist Salary
Exceedingly demanding and exceptionally well paying - the job of a rocket scientist is not for
everyone. If you are aspiring to be a rocket scientist or an aerospace engineer, it is not enough to be
a whiz kid or just brilliant in sciences. Your talent has to be honed by long hours of concentrated
work and often tiring work schedule. In short, your willingness matters the most and that must be
backed by aptitude.
Rocket Scientist Salary: An Overview
Being at the helm of some of the most complex technological works, rocket scientists are paid
sufficiently high to focus completely on their work. The fact is that for 'creative geeks' like rocket
scientists, the passion for the profession surpasses monetary benefits. Eventually they end up being
paid very high salaries, something they truly deserve. After all, leading, designing and ensuring
success of projects to the tune of billions of dollars is not a cake walk.
What Does a Rocket Scientist Do?
When we generally use the term, 'rocket scientist', we are actually referring to
'aerospace/aeronautical engineers' who develop aircraft, both for flights and the outer world, the
mysterious space. Nonetheless, rocket scientist is a term that may be loosely used in many areas of
aerospace engineering. To design and build outer space rockets is something that requires super
smart work and sheer genius. The key aspects of a rocket scientist job description include designing
and monitoring the manufacturing of advanced technological aircraft and space vehicles. Their goal
is to always make a better, faster and technologically advanced air vehicle to meet the requirements
of the military and space exploration. By performing tests and deep scientific analysis, rocket
scientists ensure that the finished aircraft is best suited for the purpose for which, it has been
designed. Studying propulsion systems, intricacies of Physics, aerodynamics and almost everything
related to mathematics involved in the aircraft flying are included as the major research areas for
rocket scientists.
Factors on which Salaries Depend
A rocket scientist is paid, on an average $90,000 per year! Rated amongst the top paying jobs in the
world and in the US, aerospace engineers or rocket scientists may find variations in their salaries
depending on several factors like:
Working State
Industry or Work Area
Work Experience
These 3 factors play a vital role in deciding the salaries of rocket scientists. How they affect the
salaries has been discussed further.
Working State
As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, states like Maryland, ($110,000 per year) California ($106,000

2. per year), District of Columbia ($105,000 per year) are the best paying states for rocket scientists.
Even Texas, Washington, Alabama, Virginia, and Florida are great places for budding rocket
scientists who can find plenty of opportunities and equally tough competition in these states to get
employment. These states house a large number of mega aerospace institutes that focus on research
and implementation work in the aerospace industry.
Industry or Work Area
Rocket scientist salary also depends pretty much on the employer type. As per several salary
reports, employers like NASA, one of the dream destinations for rocket engineers, pays one of the
highest salaries in this field. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awards
salaries between $50,000 - $132,000 per year to the aerospace engineers or rocket scientists. Some
other top employers like the US Air Force, (USAF), Boeing Company and Generic Electric (GE)
Aviation also grant salaries between $60,000 - $100,000, on an average. Federal companies and
military organizations are known to the top employers of rocket scientists and they certainly award
the best compensation in the industry.
Work Experience
The number of years you have worked in an industry helps in determining the salary because more
work experience speaks of seniority and obviously better skills and knowledge about the work.
Rocket scientist salaries in the recent years for the starters has been incredibly good in the
aerospace engineering field with freshers getting paid anywhere between $50,000 - $70,000. Those
with many years of work experience can earn as high as $140,000! For the talented and exceptional
candidates, there is no limit of remuneration. This industry does pay for the brilliant performance of
its workers.
By going through the data on rocket scientist salary, you must have gotten motivated to pursue this
field. However, as aforementioned, it is not a field for everyone. Only those who harbor a burning
desire and deep self motivation to be a rocket scientist can make it to the top. So if you have been
interested in this field, it is time to pull up your socks, seek relevant engineering or other higher
education degrees and make your mark in this field. All the best!
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