Virginia Tech® home

Where do our alumni end up?

Around the world, Hokie engineers are pushing boundaries, making new scientific discoveries, and keeping our airspace and waters secure.

Our graduates have been highly successful in a variety of aerospace and ocean engineering fields. Employers range from large, multinational corporations to government agencies to small consulting firms.

Among our alumni who enter the work force, most find jobs in the following fields and industries:

Jet turbine engine

Aerospace industry

The box of a cargo ship cutting through smooth water

Maritime agencies

A ship being built in a drydock

Ship building industry

rocket launching with booster flames

Private spaceflight companies

A rocket launching

Government Agencies (NASA, US Navy)

The box of a cargo ship cutting through smooth water

Federally funded research centers

Recent surveys* of AOE graduates indicate:

62%

expected full-time employment

29%

will further their studies in graduate school

7%

plan to go into the military or volunteer service

45%

gained experience through an internship or co-op

30%

participated in undergraduate research

4%

studied abroad

* conducted by the Virginia Tech Provost Assessment Office and the Office of Career and Professional Development.

In 2024-25, AOE graduates median salary was $77,625.