Avionics is a slightly different field than aerospace. Avionics is further specialization for aircraft and deals only with them.  Candidates who aspire to specialize in this job role can opt for avionics in specific. There is demand for avionics software engineers in the avionics industry. The typical job would consist of programming in C or C++ and using real time embedded software.

The software industry is an extremely dynamic industry, and many changes take place very quickly in this field. There are newer versions released frequently, and better products are also being introduced frequently.

A software engineer, irrespective of the industry he is working in, has to constantly undergo training and workshops to understand the changing technology and updates. It is a life long study in a way. The job roles can present extremely challenging tasks which need good expertise in programming and especially in the aerospace industry, where it is more challenging than others.

The software engineers in this industry should have a technical background and should have done a technical course like engineering or technical studies in their graduation. Only then they can venture into the avionics industry. Until the person has reached a management position, the job role mostly involves interacting with the team members and developing solutions.

The future prospects in this job are that the person can start handling projects and become a project lead and eventually grow into a key management post in the industry. However, the job role will be fixed within the software development department, and a migration to any other department is not possible unless the person is qualified in aircraft mechanics, which is a separate course of studies by itself.

Education

The Main education required for this job role in the avionics industry is software programming knowledge like C, C++, embedded systems, Auto CAD/CAM, and active servlets. As the software industry changes and brings in more challenging languages, the person is also expected to study and learn them.

The underlying education the candidate acquires should be of technical in nature, like the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of engineering in mechanics or electrical, or Bachelor of technological sciences or B-Tech. If the person has also acquired an MS in mechanical, aeronautics, aerospace or electrical, then he has the option of migrating to another department or branch within the avionics industry.

There are numerous software engineers in the United States, and it is not possible for all of them to make it in the avionics industry, even though it is the most vied industry, because they lack the technical expertise. The jobs in this industry are acquired either through campus selections which happen right after college in the university itself, or by applying for jobs.

Candidate seeking a job otherwise should have a minimum experience of 4 to 5 years in software development, and a technical background before the avionics industry related companies could consider him.

Education required

Bachelor of Engineering Mechanical or electrical
or
B-Tech or Bachelor of Mechanical Sciences
Programming in object oriented languages
C, C++ knowledge
Embedded software knowledge

Skills

If a person is not fresh from college, then the industry seeks a minimum of five years of experience in programming in an ADA environment, or with C or C++ languages. The candidate should also be able to use the real time software development tools. He should be well-versed with all the new software development methodologies like UML and the object oriented software design.

They are expected to work in CMMI level 3 scenarios and should also have additional experience in Electronic Support measures or Warfare systems or Avionics control systems.

The personal traits required for this job are analyzing skills, reasoning skills and logic and deduction abilities. The candidate should also have good mathematical skills.

Expected Salary (Monthly)

Beginner: $3500
Mid Level: $5000
Expert: $6000 – $7500