NOC 21390: Aerospace engineers
What aerospace engineers do
Aerospace engineers research, design and develop aerospace vehicles, aerospace systems and their components, and perform duties related to their testing, evaluation, installation, operation and maintenance. They are employed by aircraft and spacecraft manufacturers, air transport carriers, and in government and educational and research institutions.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Design and develop aerospace vehicles, systems and components such as aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, satellites and space-based communication systems
- Develop and conduct computer simulations of aerospace vehicles, systems and components using advanced mathematical modelling
- Prepare specifications for materials and processes to be used in aerospace manufacturing, maintenance, repair or modification
- Supervise and coordinate the manufacturing, assembly, modification, repair and overhaul of aircraft and spacecraft
- Co-ordinate ground and flight tests of air and spacecraft
- Develop operational specifications, maintenance schedules and manuals for operators
- Develop the technical phases of logistical and operational support for aerospace vehicles and systems
- Investigate and report on structural or other component or system failures, accidents or incidents and prepare recommendations for corrective action.
Job titles under NOC 21390
27 job titles are classified here, including aerodynamics engineer, aeronautical engineer, aerospace engineer.
- aerodynamics engineer
- aeronautical engineer
- aeronautical project engineer
- aerospace engineer
- aerospace engineer - design and development
- aerospace engineer - flight operations
- aerospace engineer - flight support
- aerospace engineer - flight test
- aerospace engineer - mass properties
- aerospace engineer - material stress
- aerospace engineer - materials and processes
- aerospace engineer - propulsion systems
- aerospace engineer - systems
- aerospace engineer - systems analysis
- aerospace engineer - weight and balance
- aerospace engineering officer - Canadian Armed Forces
- aerospace reliability specialist
- aerospace structural engineer
- aerospace systems engineer
- aerospace test engineer
- aircraft design engineer
- engineer weight analyst - aircraft design
- propulsion engineer - aerospace vehicles
- space reliability specialist
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or in a related engineering discipline, such as mechanical engineering or engineering physics, is required.
- A master's degree or doctorate in a related engineering discipline may be required.
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Aerospace engineers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $33.76/hr | $50.00/hr | $100.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $30.00/hr | $48.00/hr | $64.90/hr |
Montréal QC | $34.00/hr | $47.60/hr | $100.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $33.93/hr | $47.68/hr | $68.69/hr |
Calgary AB | $31.58/hr | $44.63/hr | $65.79/hr |
Ottawa ON | $38.11/hr | $53.48/hr | $78.74/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $35.18/hr | $48.89/hr | $64.91/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $34.00/hr | $47.60/hr | $100.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $36.34/hr | $53.13/hr | $74.64/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $34.39/hr | $52.24/hr | $78.14/hr |
Halifax NS | $30.33/hr | $47.44/hr | $66.13/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $34.93/hr | $47.97/hr | $69.94/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Nova Scotia | $28.92/hr | $47.00/hr | $70.73/hr |
Quebec | $34.00/hr | $47.60/hr | $100.00/hr |
Ontario | $31.25/hr | $56.41/hr | $100.00/hr |
Manitoba | $34.42/hr | $48.49/hr | $63.08/hr |
Alberta | $28.51/hr | $43.76/hr | $67.36/hr |
British Columbia | $33.70/hr | $47.47/hr | $69.60/hr |
Using NOC 21390 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 27 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) - avionics (NOC 22313)
- Aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) (except avionics) (NOC 72404)
- Avionics engineer (NOC 21310)
- Engineering managers (NOC 20010)
- Mechanical engineers (NOC 21301)
- Metallurgical and materials engineers (NOC 21322)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for aerospace engineers?
Aerospace engineers are NOC 2021 unit group 21390. Example job titles in this group include aerodynamics engineer, aeronautical engineer, aerospace engineer, aerospace structural engineer.
What TEER is NOC 21390?
NOC 21390 is TEER 1 (University degree). Usually requires a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate), or experience from a related TEER 2 occupation. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do aerospace engineers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $50.00/hr, about $98,000 a year full-time, with a range of $33.76/hr to $100.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.