Learn/Systems, Integration & Test

Design & engineer

Systems, Integration & Test

Make sure every part of a rocket or satellite works together, then prove it on the ground before it flies.

Medium barrier to entryStart in a few months once you hold an engineering degree$108k–$231k/yrtypical pay

Ready for the numbers? See what systems & test pays, which employers hire for it, and live open roles.

What it is

Systems engineers decide what a vehicle must do, split that into requirements for each subsystem, and track how every requirement will be proven. Integration and test engineers then bring the parts together, write the procedures and run the tests (functional checkouts, thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, acoustic and full-stage tests) that show the hardware is ready to fly. It is the work between design and launch, where problems are found on the ground instead of in orbit.

What you actually do

Write and review test procedures, then act as test conductor while technicians run them on flight hardware.
Plan environmental test campaigns in thermal vacuum chambers, on vibration shakers and in shock and acoustic facilities, and design the fixtures that hold the hardware.
Set up data acquisition with thermocouples, accelerometers and pressure transducers, then analyze the data and write the test report.
Track requirements and how each one will be verified (by test, analysis, inspection or demonstration) in tools such as DOORS or Jama.
Triage anomalies and nonconformances found during integration, find the root cause with the design engineers, and agree on the fix.
Support builds on the floor, resolving issues in real time and folding technician feedback into work instructions and procedures.

What a real task looks like

Thermal vacuum test of a satellite subsystem

You write the test plan from the engineering requirements, set the hot and cold cycles and dwell times, and build the fixture that holds the unit in the chamber. During the campaign you direct the technicians, watch thermocouple and functional data, and stop the test if a limit is crossed. Afterwards you process the data and present a report that says whether the hardware passed.

Integrating a rocket stage's thrust structure

Engine, fluid lines, avionics and secondary structures come together on one assembly before it is mated to the stage. You write the work instructions and the checkout procedure, run leak and functional checks as test conductor, and resolve nonconformances as they come up so the build keeps moving.

Writing the verification plan for a new spacecraft

You go through the system requirements one by one and decide how each will be verified: a test, an analysis, an inspection or a demonstration. You map them to test events in the integration and test flow, track open items and risks, and report which requirements are closed before the spacecraft ships to the launch site.

Is it right for you?

Most people here hold a bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical or electrical engineering, and many got their start on a university rocketry, CubeSat or Formula SAE team. Test roles also hire people from automotive, consumer electronics and medical device testing, where the methods are much the same. People thrive here if they like both the whole-vehicle picture and hands-on hardware, and stay calm and methodical when a test goes wrong late at night.

This is a good fit if

You like knowing how a whole machine works, not just one part of it.
You enjoy writing clear, step-by-step procedures and then watching them run on real hardware.
You stay careful and calm around high pressure, cryogenic or high voltage systems.
You are comfortable telling a design team their hardware failed and helping them find out why.

What you need

Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical or a related engineering field for engineer roles (entry-level test technician roles accept vocational training)
US citizenship or permanent residency for most roles, because the hardware and data are export controlled under ITAR
Hands-on hardware experience: early-career postings ask for 0 to 3 years and usually count internships and student design teams
Physical ability to work in tight spaces, climb and lift around 25 lb, as many postings state

Skills that help

Test procedures and P&IDsThermal vacuum and vibrationData acquisition and instrumentationRequirements tools (DOORS, Jama)Python or MATLAB scriptingRoot cause and corrective action

How to get started

1While you study, join a rocketry, CubeSat or Formula SAE team and volunteer to write and run its test procedures.
2Apply for integration and test or environmental test internships early: postings for summer 2027 internships were already open in October 2026.
3Learn the language of verification from the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook, which NASA publishes online, and NASA's GEVS standard for environmental testing.
4Practice with the tools postings name: Python or MATLAB for test data, a data acquisition system, and a requirements tool such as DOORS or Jama if you can get access.
5If you test hardware in automotive, electronics or medical devices, rewrite your resume around the test plans you wrote, the environmental tests you ran and the failures you traced to a root cause.
6Apply to test engineer, integration engineer and environmental test engineer roles, and if you do not have an engineering degree yet, treat a test technician role as a real way in.

Common misconceptions

Myth: Systems engineering is mostly paperwork.

Reality: Requirements and documents are part of it, but postings expect systems and test engineers on the floor during builds, running checkouts, and on console during major test campaigns and launches.

Myth: You need years in aerospace before anyone lets you test flight hardware.

Reality: Many early-career test postings ask for 0 to 3 years of experience and count internships and student project teams. Test methods from automotive, electronics and medical devices carry over directly.

Myth: A test that finds a failure is a failed test.

Reality: Finding a problem on the ground is the point of testing. Much of the job is turning a failure into a root cause and a fix before the hardware flies.

What it pays

Systems & Test work typically pays $108k–$231k/yr today, with a live median of $132k/yr across the 336 open roles that state their pay.

See systems & test pay, employers & live roles Compare pay across all work →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a systems engineer and a test engineer?

A systems engineer owns how the whole vehicle fits together: requirements, interfaces, technical budgets and how each requirement will be verified. A test engineer designs and runs the tests that do the verifying, from a single box on a shaker to a full stage on a test stand. At smaller companies one person often does both, and many systems engineers start out in test. You can compare open roles of both kinds on the systems, integration and test roles page.

What is thermal vacuum testing?

Thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing puts hardware in a chamber that pumps out the air and cycles it between hot and cold, to show it works in the conditions of space. It usually sits alongside vibration, shock and acoustic tests that simulate the ride to orbit. NASA sets out its requirements for this kind of testing in the General Environmental Verification Standard (GEVS), and some satellite postings list familiarity with it as a plus.

Do I need US citizenship to work in systems or test engineering?

For most US roles, you need to be a US person. Because rocket and satellite hardware is export controlled, postings typically require you to be a US citizen, a green card holder, or another protected individual under export rules, and some government programs also require a security clearance. The guide to ITAR and security clearances explains what each of these means and how employers check it.

Can I move into systems and test engineering from another industry?

Yes, and test is a common way in from outside space. Test engineers from automotive, consumer electronics and medical devices already know test plans, data acquisition and root cause work, and some space postings name those industries as relevant experience. Start with integration and test or environmental test roles, then grow into systems engineering as you learn the vehicle. The guide to getting a job in the space industry covers resumes and applications, and the board lists 674 open systems and test roles today.