A synthetic jet actuator and a method for optimizing a synthetic jet actuator to meet operating requirements and physical constraints may include estimating dimension and a resonance frequency of an air cavity of the synthetic jet actuator, and using the estimated resonance frequency to the estimate dimensions of a piezoelectric actuator of the synthetic jet actuator. Individual simulations of the air cavity and piezoelectric actuator, and a coupled simulation may be performed using the estimated dimensions, and the dimensions may be revised and simulations re-executed to match the resonance frequencies of the air chamber and the piezoelectric actuator. The method maybe yield a synthetic jet actuator having a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric actuator that is approximately equal to a quarter-wavelength resonance frequency of the air cavity.