My Colorado Journey
  • STEMA role grounded in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
  • Bright OutlookOccupation O*NET expects to grow rapidly, have many openings, or be new and emerging in the years ahead.Source: O*NET Bright Outlook
  • Green JobOccupation aligned to O*NET green economy classifications.

Aerospace Career Pathways

Explore Colorado careers that design, build, fly, maintain, and support aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, drones, and advanced aviation systems.

  • Median Salary

    $106,122

    Statewide industry median

  • 10-Year Growth

    +7%

    Statewide projection

  • Pathway Roles

    16

    Pathway roles

  • Required Education

    Bachelor's

    Engineering or related field

Explore Colorado Aerospace

Why Colorado is a space state

From spacecraft and satellites to GPS and aviation systems, see what makes Colorado a national aerospace leader — and where you could fit in.

The big picture

Colorado is one of America’s space capitals.

Here, students can explore careers across the whole mission:

  • Building spacecraft
  • Coding satellite systems
  • Protecting GPS
  • Analyzing Earth from orbit
  • Designing rocket parts
  • Helping humanity return to the Moon
  • Per-capita rank

    #1

    Colorado ranks first nationally for aerospace employment per capita.

  • Aerospace businesses

    2,000+

    The state ecosystem spans major primes, startups, suppliers, labs, and service firms.

  • Direct employees

    55,000+

    OEDIT cites another 184,000 indirect jobs tied to the industry.

  • Artemis suppliers

    ~200

    Colorado companies are participating in NASA Artemis work, including Orion.

Space state hiding in plain sight

Colorado is one of America’s space capitals

The work is not just launches. Colorado is home to command systems, satellite operations, mission support, orbital awareness, research labs, and companies that build the hardware and software behind modern spaceflight.

GPS, comms, and orbital awareness

Half of the nation’s Space Force presence is here

For students, aerospace means tracking objects in orbit, protecting satellites, securing communications, analyzing data, and keeping GPS and warning systems reliable.

Fifteen buildings inside granite

Cheyenne Mountain is real-life sci-fi

NORAD lists 15 buildings inside the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, 5.1 acres of complex space, and roughly 693,000 tons of excavated granite. It became operational as a NORAD combat operations center in 1966.

Webb optics, LASP instruments, Moon missions

Colorado helped build the James Webb Space Telescope view of deep space

BAE Systems says its Space & Mission Systems team designed and built Webb’s advanced optical technology and lightweight mirror system. LASP notes instruments studying all eight planets and Pluto, while OEDIT points to Colorado firms helping NASA return to the Moon through Artemis and Orion.

Not just astronaut or engineer

Career changer skills already fit aerospace

Software, cybersecurity, data, GIS, precision manufacturing, technical writing, contracts, project controls, and supply chain experience can all map into aerospace-adjacent roles.

Airports, logistics, maintenance, operations

Aviation is part of the stack

Colorado’s 2025 aviation impact study covers 66 public-use airports and ties aviation to tens of billions in annual business revenue, jobs, payroll, and regional mobility.

Career paths · where you fit in

Transferable skills have a runway here.

Aerospace needs mission-critical thinkers across shops, labs, codebases, hangars, classrooms, and contract teams.

01/Build the spacecraft

  • Aerospace manufacturing technician
  • CNC machinist
  • Composites technician
  • Quality inspector

02/Code the mission

  • Flight software engineer
  • Cybersecurity analyst
  • Simulation developer
  • Data engineer

03/Operate the mission

  • Satellite operator
  • Mission planner
  • Ground systems technician
  • Space-domain analyst

04/Keep the industry moving

  • Contracts specialist
  • Technical writer
  • Supply chain analyst
  • Program controls analyst