Summary of Key Points
The commercial aerospace industry is facing a severe shortage of talent: companies are expanding rapidly (with over 600 firms by the end of 2025 and an intense launch schedule), yet there is a critical lack of experienced, mature technical personnel with knowledge of complete product development cycles. Early-stage companies relied on recruiting key professionals from traditional aerospace organizations, but this approach is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain due to the limited pool of available talent and restricted mobility within these sectors. Companies are now turning to in-house training programs, partnerships with universities, and seeking candidates from other industries for non-research and development roles. However, the cultivation of skilled engineers requires a comprehensive understanding of the entire engineering process—from design to launch—which cannot be achieved overnight. The future competitiveness of the industry will not only depend on the ability to build rockets but also on the establishment of effective talent development systems.
Detailed Analysis
1. The Talent Race Is Intense: What's in Shortage Are Experienced Professionals
The shortage of talent extends beyond core research and development areas (such as overall system design, engine development, and control systems) to include production, quality assurance, and supply chain management. Job listings frequently require three to five years of relevant industry experience, with salaries for liquid rocket engine designers ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 RMB per month, and the median annual salary for chief engineers reaching 820,000 RMB. Despite these attractive offers, companies are still struggling to fill these positions.
The reason? Experience cannot be accumulated simply by working for a long time; an engineer must have participated in project design, conducted experiments, and handled issues throughout the entire process from assembly to launch to develop the necessary expertise. This kind of experience can only be gained through real-world projects, which is why companies ask detailed questions during interviews: “Which models have you worked on? Have you been involved in the launch phase?”
2. The Benefits of Recruiting From Traditional Aerospace Are Waning
When the first private rocket companies were established in 2015, they quickly built their teams by hiring experienced professionals from traditional aerospace institutions (such as the First and Fifth Academy of Aerospace). These individuals brought not only technical expertise but also knowledge about project organization and experiment management. However, today:
- The number of commercial aerospace companies has grown from a few to over 600, leading to a massive increase in demand for skilled personnel;
- Traditional aerospace professionals are often engaged in national projects with confidentiality requirements and stability concerns, making them less likely to switch to commercial firms;
- Most of the early recruits from traditional aerospace organizations have already been absorbed by these companies.
3. Newcomers Need a Comprehensive Learning Experience
For young engineers to become skilled, it’s not enough to just work for a long time; they need to participate in entire projects from conception to launch. This involves transforming design concepts into tangible products, assembling components, identifying and resolving issues during testing, and finally witnessing the rocket’s successful launch. Without this experience, they will struggle to make informed decisions in future projects. The frequency of launches is crucial for new employees to gain practical experience; more launches mean more opportunities to learn and establish company standards and procedures.
4. The Talent Gap Spreads to Other Areas
The shortage now extends beyond research and development to include skilled workers in manufacturing, assembly, quality control, and supply chain management. For example, mass-producing rockets requires expertise in converting design drawings into functional products—this type of talent can be drawn from industries such as aerospace, automotive, or energy equipment, as long as they have received training in aerospace-quality systems.
5. The Future of the Industry: Building Talent Is Essential
Companies are no longer waiting for the traditional recruitment season; they are collaborating with universities (e.g., Tianbing Technology and Beihang University) to provide students with real-world experience through internships. However, universities can only teach theoretical knowledge and cannot provide the practical experience required. The key lies in companies establishing their own talent development systems:
- Maintaining a continuous stream of projects to give new employees opportunities to work through the entire process;
- Enabling experienced engineers to mentor newcomers;
- Documenting lessons learned from experiments and launches (e.g., how to prevent similar issues in future designs).
In summary, while the commercial aerospace industry once relied on traditional aerospace talent, it must now develop its own systems for cultivating skilled professionals. While rockets can be produced according to plans, mature engineers can only be trained through actual project experience. This is the true foundation for long-term industry success.