if you are asking which is better aerospace or software engineering, this is the right post for you.
Which is better software for aerospace engineering
According to BLS, the average salary of an aerospace engineer is $122,000 per year, while software Engineers learn a little bit more around $130,000 per year. Not too much, but If we look at the opportunities software Engineering is evolving compared to aerospace engineering, we find a big difference.
In the United States, there are 61,000 People working in aerospace engineering, whereas almost 2 Million software engineering are existing only in the United States which is almost 200 times bigger than aerospace engineering.
In addition, the industry of software engineering is evolving by 22% Which is higher than any engineering occupation in the United States. Software engineering is only hiring around 500,000 people every year, while Aerospace engineering is evolving by 8% hiring only 5,100 people.
So, global software engineering is hiring 100 times more people than aerospace engineering does.
So when we look at these numbers we notice the big difference and potential software engineering has, compared to any engineering occupation including aerospace engineering.
In addition to working as a Software Engineer, you don’t even have to study or have a 4-year Bachelor like an aerospace engineer. You could take some accelerated programs or self-teach yourself in software engineering applying for multiple software engineering, especially web, and mobile app development that doesn’t require any mathematics skills.
On the other hand, if you are interested and have a passion to study aerospace engineering we will give you some tips and advice you should follow to guarantee your chances of getting a job in this difficult industry.
Which is harder software or aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is much harder than software engineering because it involves a lot of physics topics students have to complete, while software engineering doesn’t literally include any physics. You just have to be good at mathematics and have an interest in programming.
While in aerospace engineering you have to be good at both math and physics this is the principal thing that makes software engineering easier than aerospace engineering.
But you have to consider that Aerospace and Software Engineers are required to complete the most math-difficult courses including:
- Calculus 1
- calculus 2
- calculus 3
- differential equations
- linear algebra
If you decided to major in aerospace engineering you would be also required to complete these physics courses:
- physics 1
- physics 2
- thermodynamics
- Dynamics
- Statics
- heat transfer
The big advantage that software Engineers have, is they don’t have to study these topics they go directly study official software engineering programs like:
- Computing
- Software Construction
- Computer Organization and Assembly Language Programming
- Principles of Programming Languages
- Software Modeling and Design
- Introduction to Computer Networks
- Operating Systems
- Introduction to Algorithms
An aerospace engineer spends their first 2 years studying only physics and Mathematics courses before digging into any aerospace engineering course Because the math and physics courses that we mentioned are foundational for aerospace engineering preparing them to study advanced aerospace topics in their third and fourth year like:
- Aerodynamics
- Flight mechanics
- Orbital mechanics
- Propulsions
- Aerospace Systems
- Aerospace structures
- Aerospace design
Which should I choose Aerospace or software engineering
1 – when you should choose aerospace engineering
If you are good at physics and Mathematics and enjoy mechanical design or you love to work by hand and craft things from scratch, thus aerospace engineering is a good choice for you. It would be an ultimate option especially if you hate programming.
but you have to consider that getting a job in aerospace engineering is very hard and competitive, you would be competing with a lot of people who may have advanced classes like master’s or Ph.D., so the best choice we recommend for you is to take mechanical engineering, and here is why.
With a mechanical engineering Bachelor’s, you will still have a lot of chances to get a job, you could work in many industries including automotive, mechanical, and even aerospace engineering.
So if you didn’t find a job in aerospace engineering you would have the flexibility to work in other mechanical engineering fields like Automotive or Marine engineering which is very hard if you only have an aerospace engineering degree.
The other option you have is to apply for a mechanical engineering Bachelor then later have a master’s and aerospace engineering.
In this case, you will have 2 degrees, a master’s where you can apply for aerospace engineering jobs, and a mechanical engineering bachelor applying for other manufacturing jobs in multiple industries when you struggle to find a job in the aerospace field.
2 – when you should choose software engineering
If you enjoy programming and like to sit in front of the computer for long hours solving problems about coding and using your mathematics knowledge then software engineering is the best choice for you especially if you are introverted and don’t like to work in teams with people.
Software engineering would give you a lot of advantages, especially working from home or from any place in the world, in addition to the higher salaries that companies pay for experienced and talented people.
In a short amount of time, you can reach a respectable salary like $150,000 or even more that you would not be dreaming about in aerospace engineering.
In addition, in software engineering, you are not required to complete a bachelor’s degree, you can take private classes like boot camps or self-teach yourself in software engineering and apply directly for jobs in just one year or less, for more information you can watch this video below.
Does aerospace engineering require coding?
Aerospace engineering doesn’t require a lot of coding. You would be studying some programming languages like Python, Matlab, or even C++ but you would not be fully concentrated on programming unless you decide to minor or take a master’s in a related aerospace engineering field like embedded systems.
For instance, if you decide to work in the electrical or electronic part of aerospace engineering, designing electrical or electronic equipment for aircraft in this case you will be required to study some coding and programming.
But in general, students who are studying aerospace engineering Bachelor will take a coding subject as an introductory course, not the principal only one they should focus on.