How to Get a Job at Airbus Without an Engineering Degree

Airbus is one of Europe's most prestigious employers. Most people assume you need an aerospace engineering degree to work there. Most people are wrong.

Airbus employs roughly 130,000 people across 35+ countries. About 30 percent of them are not engineers. They work in software development, supply chain, finance, marketing, operations, HR, legal, sales, and many other roles.

If you want to work at Airbus in 2026 and you do not have an engineering degree, here is the real picture.

Why Airbus Hires Non-Engineers#

Building and selling commercial aircraft requires:

• Software engineers (lots of them)
• Supply chain professionals (for the most complex supply chain on Earth)
• Finance professionals (for managing billions in working capital)
• Sales and customer-facing professionals (for €100M+ aircraft deals)
• Operations and manufacturing managers
• Procurement specialists
• HR and people operations
• Legal and contract specialists
• Quality and compliance professionals
• Project managers
• Data scientists and analysts
• Cybersecurity professionals
• Communications and marketing

Engineering is at the heart of Airbus, but engineering alone does not deliver a jet to an airline.

Airbus Locations#

The biggest sites for non-engineering hiring:

France (Toulouse area)

• Toulouse Blagnac (HQ, primary final assembly line)
• Toulouse city center (commercial, finance, software)
• Saint-Nazaire (sub-assembly)

Germany

• Hamburg Finkenwerder (A320 final assembly, second-largest site)
• Bremen
• Stade
• Augsburg

UK

• Filton, Bristol (wings, commercial)
• Broughton, Wales (wings)
• Stevenage (Defence and Space)

Spain

• Getafe (Madrid area, commercial, defence)
• Sevilla
• Cadiz

Other European hubs

• Donauwörth, Germany (Helicopters)
• Marignane, France (Helicopters)
• Manching, Germany (Defence)

Non-Engineering Roles and Salaries#

Software Engineering (yes, this exists outside aerospace-engineering)

Airbus hires thousands of software engineers for:

• Avionics software
• Manufacturing systems
• Customer-facing platforms (e.g., Skywise, an aviation data platform)
• Internal IT and SAP systems
• AI/ML for operations and customer support

Salary ranges:

• Junior software engineer Toulouse: €38,000 to €52,000
• Mid: €52,000 to €72,000
• Senior: €72,000 to €100,000
• Lead: €100,000 to €135,000

Junior software engineer Hamburg: €58,000 to €72,000 (German cost basis) Senior software engineer Hamburg: €95,000 to €130,000

Supply Chain

• Junior supply chain analyst: €35,000 to €48,000 (FR), €52,000 to €68,000 (DE)
• Supply chain manager: €60,000 to €85,000 (FR), €85,000 to €115,000 (DE)
• Senior supply chain manager: €85,000 to €120,000 (FR), €115,000 to €150,000 (DE)
• Head of supply chain (program-level): €145,000 to €210,000

Finance and Controlling

• Junior financial analyst: €38,000 to €52,000 (FR), €55,000 to €72,000 (DE)
• Senior financial analyst: €60,000 to €82,000 (FR), €82,000 to €105,000 (DE)
• Finance manager: €85,000 to €120,000 (FR), €110,000 to €145,000 (DE)
• Senior finance manager: €115,000 to €160,000 (FR), €145,000 to €195,000 (DE)
• CFO of business unit: €250,000 to €450,000

Procurement

• Junior buyer: €38,000 to €52,000 (FR), €55,000 to €72,000 (DE)
• Senior buyer: €60,000 to €85,000 (FR), €82,000 to €110,000 (DE)
• Category manager: €85,000 to €120,000 (FR), €110,000 to €150,000 (DE)
• Head of procurement (category): €130,000 to €200,000

Sales and Commercial

• Sales engineer: €55,000 to €80,000 (FR), €75,000 to €105,000 (DE)
• Customer affairs manager: €70,000 to €100,000 (FR), €95,000 to €130,000 (DE)
• Sales director: €130,000 to €220,000+
• Vice President Sales: €280,000 to €500,000+

Operations and Manufacturing Management

• Operations supervisor: €45,000 to €62,000
• Production manager: €65,000 to €92,000
• Plant manager: €110,000 to €170,000
• Director of operations: €170,000 to €280,000

Project Management

• Junior project manager: €42,000 to €58,000 (FR), €58,000 to €75,000 (DE)
• Senior project manager: €75,000 to €105,000 (FR), €100,000 to €135,000 (DE)
• Program manager: €110,000 to €165,000 (FR), €145,000 to €200,000 (DE)
• Director of programs: €200,000 to €350,000

HR

• HR business partner: €52,000 to €72,000 (FR), €68,000 to €92,000 (DE)
• Senior HRBP: €75,000 to €105,000 (FR), €98,000 to €130,000 (DE)
• HR director: €130,000 to €200,000 (FR), €165,000 to €240,000 (DE)

Legal

• Junior legal counsel: €58,000 to €75,000 (FR), €75,000 to €100,000 (DE)
• Senior legal counsel: €90,000 to €130,000 (FR), €115,000 to €160,000 (DE)
• General counsel of business unit: €200,000 to €350,000

Data Analytics and Data Science

• Junior data analyst: €40,000 to €55,000 (FR), €58,000 to €75,000 (DE)
• Senior data scientist: €75,000 to €110,000 (FR), €95,000 to €135,000 (DE)
• Lead data scientist: €110,000 to €155,000 (FR), €135,000 to €185,000 (DE)

Cybersecurity

• Junior security analyst: €45,000 to €62,000 (FR), €62,000 to €80,000 (DE)
• Senior security engineer: €85,000 to €120,000 (FR), €108,000 to €145,000 (DE)
• Security architect: €115,000 to €165,000

Communications and Marketing

• Communications specialist: €40,000 to €60,000
• Senior communications manager: €70,000 to €105,000
• Director of communications: €130,000 to €200,000

Benefits Across All Roles#

Airbus offers strong benefits:

• Strong pension contributions (especially in Germany, where company pensions are excellent)
• Profit-sharing (intéressement et participation in France, equivalent in other countries)
• 13th month salary in some markets
• 6 to 8 weeks of paid leave depending on country
• Health insurance fully covered or significantly subsidized
• Sports and wellness benefits
• Subsidized cafeterias at major sites
• Sabbatical programs after 5+ years tenure
• Internal mobility across countries

For senior roles, additional benefits often include:

• Company car or car allowance
• Annual bonus 10 to 30 percent of base
• Long-term incentive plans (LTI) for senior management

Application Process#

Stage 1: Application

Apply through careers.airbus.com. Use the search filter by location, function, and contract type.

Airbus accepts applications in English, French, German, and Spanish depending on the site and role. For most non-engineering roles, English is sufficient.

Stage 2: Recruiter Screen

30 to 45 minute call covering motivation, experience, salary expectations, and availability.

Stage 3: Hiring Manager Interview

45 to 60 minutes. Deep dive into your background, the specific role, and how you would contribute.

Stage 4: Technical / Functional Interview

Role-specific. For finance roles, expect financial scenario questions. For procurement, sourcing strategy. For data science, technical case study.

Stage 5: Final Round

May include HR, peer interview, and director or vice president for senior roles.

Total funnel: 6 to 12 weeks from application to offer.

Languages and Citizenship#

Languages

Airbus operates in multiple languages but English is the lingua franca for most professional communication.

Site-specific language preferences:

• Toulouse, Saint-Nazaire: French strongly preferred, English required
• Hamburg, Bremen: German preferred, English required
• Filton, Broughton: English only
• Getafe, Sevilla: Spanish preferred, English required

If you do not speak the local language but are otherwise strong, Airbus often supports language learning.

Citizenship and security clearance

Some roles require EU citizenship or specific security clearances:

• Defence and Space roles often require clearance and specific nationality
• Most commercial aircraft division roles are open to any nationality
• Some software and IT roles in defence-adjacent systems require clearance

For non-EU candidates, Airbus sponsors work permits and EU Blue Cards regularly for both engineering and non-engineering roles.

Common Misconceptions#

Misconception 1: "I need aerospace experience"

False. Most non-engineering roles welcome candidates from other industries. Finance professionals from FMCG, project managers from consulting, software engineers from any background - all are common at Airbus.

Misconception 2: "It's only French and German speakers"

False. English is the working language at the company level. Local languages help for daily life but rarely required for the job itself.

Misconception 3: "Airbus only pays low because they have prestige"

Mixed reality. Junior roles in France pay modest salaries due to French wage structure. But senior roles, especially in Germany and the UK, pay competitively. Total compensation including benefits and profit-sharing is strong.

Misconception 4: "It's too bureaucratic"

Partially true. Airbus is large and structured. Process matters. But there are pockets of fast-moving teams, especially in software, data, and recent acquisitions like Airbus Defence and Space.

Misconception 5: "There are no career options if you do not like aerospace"

False. Many non-engineering Airbus alumni move to other industries successfully. The brand and the management experience are highly transferable.

Path for Career Switchers#

From consulting

Strategy consultants from McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Roland Berger have well-established paths into Airbus strategy, finance, and program management roles.

From other industrials

Engineers, supply chain managers, and operations professionals from Siemens, Bosch, BMW, Volkswagen, Renault, Stellantis transition into Airbus regularly.

From software

Software engineers from any background can move into Airbus IT, Skywise data platform, or avionics software (with security clearance for defence work).

From finance

CFAs, MBAs, and finance professionals from banks or corporates move into Airbus finance, treasury, controlling, and investor relations.

What 2026 Looks Like at Airbus#

Hiring is strong

After the 2020-2021 reduction during COVID, Airbus has been steadily hiring. The order backlog is at record levels (over 7,500 aircraft), which means hiring will continue for years.

Digital transformation

Airbus is investing heavily in digital tools, AI for manufacturing optimization, predictive maintenance, and customer analytics. Software, data, and digital roles are growing fast.

Sustainability

Hydrogen aircraft, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) integration, and carbon-neutral manufacturing are major investment areas. Hiring across these initiatives accelerated in 2024-2025.

Defence and space growth

European defence spending increased significantly. Airbus Defence and Space is hiring across all functions.

Helicopter business

Airbus Helicopters (separate division) continues steady hiring at Marignane and Donauwörth.

Application Workflow for Non-Engineering Roles#

1. Identify 3-5 target functions (finance, software, supply chain, etc.)
2. Choose 2-3 target sites that match your language profile
3. Tailor CV with Airbus-specific keywords from the job descriptions
4. Apply directly through careers.airbus.com
5. Engage with Airbus recruiters on LinkedIn for visibility
6. Be patient: Airbus hiring is structured and slower than tech, but offers are stable

What Airbus Looks For#

Across all non-engineering roles:

• Genuine interest in aerospace (not just any company)
• Long-term thinking (programs last decades)
• Strong cross-functional communication
• Multi-cultural and multi-language fluency where applicable
• Comfort with regulatory and quality frameworks
• Patience with process

CV Optimization#

Airbus uses Workday as the primary ATS plus internal systems. Keyword matching is strict.

For non-engineering roles, list specific functional skills:

• For finance: financial modeling, SAP, Hyperion, IFRS, budgeting
• For procurement: e-procurement systems, supplier negotiation, category strategy
• For software: specific languages, frameworks, cloud platforms
• For project management: PMP, PRINCE2, Agile, Jira, Gantt
• For supply chain: SAP MM/PP, S/4HANA, inventory optimization, demand planning

Run your CV through our free ATS Checker against any specific Airbus job posting to identify keyword gaps before applying.