How much do aerospace engineers make?

Aerospace Engineer salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Aerospace engineers in the US earned a median of $134,960 a year ($64.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $106,110 to $169,690.

Median annual pay: $134,960; Mean $142,060
Median hourly pay: $64.89; Mean $68.30
Typical range (10th–90th): $86.7K–$206K; $86,700 to $205,890
US jobs: 67,710; +8.3% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become an aerospace engineer: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Minnesota

Aerospace Engineer pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$86,700
25th percentile$106,110
Median$134,960
75th percentile$169,690
90th percentile$205,890

Half of all aerospace engineers earned more than $134,960 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $86,700; the top 10% made over $205,890. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $106,110 to $169,690.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$86,700	$41.68	$7,225
25th	$106,110	$51.02	$8,843
Median (50th)	$134,960	$64.89	$11,247
75th	$169,690	$81.58	$14,141
90th	$205,890	$98.98	$17,158
Mean (average)	$142,060	$68.30	$11,838

Aerospace Engineer salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for aerospace engineers by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Minnesota $159,060
2. Washington $158,370
3. California $157,620
4. District of Columbia $157,600
5. Maryland $156,750

Lowest-paying states

41. Wisconsin $88,400
40. Idaho $95,700
39. Nevada $96,730
38. Alaska $101,710
37. Arkansas $102,040

Best after cost of living: Minnesota. Its median of $159,060 is worth about $161,284 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$127,540	27	$143,589	14	$61.32	5,820	2.75
Alaska	$101,710	38	$99,366	39	$48.90	100	0.30
Arizona	$123,170	32	$122,342	31	$59.22	3,110	0.96
Arkansas	$102,040	37	$117,372	34	$49.06	180	0.14
California	$157,620	3	$142,359	17	$75.78	9,170	0.50
Colorado	$156,190	6	$151,564	3	$75.09	4,070	1.42
Connecticut	$129,500	23	$124,988	29	$62.26	1,160	0.69
Delaware	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
District of Columbia	$157,600	4	$143,402	15	$75.77	290	0.42
Florida	$129,280	24	$125,012	28	$62.15	3,250	0.33
Georgia	$140,460	10	$145,867	10	$67.53	2,230	0.46
Hawaii	$137,240	12	$124,819	30	$65.98	40	0.06
Idaho	$95,700	40	$100,216	38	$46.01	190	0.22
Illinois	$108,940	35	$108,986	37	$52.38	200	0.03
Indiana	$107,400	36	$115,077	36	$51.63	440	0.14
Iowa	—	—	—	—	—	40	0.03
Kansas	$130,330	20	$144,702	11	$62.66	1,730	1.20
Kentucky	$126,130	29	$139,897	20	$60.64	290	0.15
Louisiana	$136,970	14	$155,282	2	$65.85	90	0.04
Maine	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Maryland	$156,750	5	$149,344	5	$75.36	3,180	1.15
Massachusetts	$149,470	7	$141,333	19	$71.86	990	0.27
Michigan	$128,960	25	$134,030	25	$62.00	—	—
Minnesota	$159,060	1	$161,284	1	$76.47	140	0.05
Mississippi	$109,200	34	$125,585	27	$52.50	90	0.08
Missouri	$130,680	19	$143,894	13	$62.83	650	0.22
Montana	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Nebraska	$135,670	16	$150,572	4	$65.23	130	0.13
Nevada	$96,730	39	$96,750	40	$46.51	270	0.17
New Hampshire	—	—	—	—	—	40	0.06
New Jersey	$126,430	28	$116,199	35	$60.79	3,400	0.79
New Mexico	$132,850	18	$144,070	12	$63.87	570	0.66
New York	$130,330	21	$120,764	32	$62.66	560	0.06
North Carolina	$122,930	33	$130,325	26	$59.10	650	0.13
North Dakota	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Ohio	$138,440	11	$149,223	6	$66.56	3,710	0.67
Oklahoma	$125,470	30	$142,834	16	$60.32	1,090	0.64
Oregon	$124,630	31	$120,577	33	$59.92	250	0.13
Pennsylvania	$133,940	17	$137,273	23	$64.40	990	0.16
Rhode Island	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Carolina	$137,030	13	$146,167	9	$65.88	650	0.28
South Dakota	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tennessee	$128,510	26	$139,882	21	$61.78	610	0.19
Texas	$130,270	22	$134,220	24	$62.63	6,750	0.48
Utah	$135,840	15	$137,401	22	$65.31	1,010	0.58
Vermont	$144,400	8	$147,410	8	$69.42	100	0.32
Virginia	$143,210	9	$141,646	18	$68.85	2,540	0.62
Washington	$158,370	2	$147,991	7	$76.14	5,760	1.62
West Virginia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Wisconsin	$88,400	41	$93,948	41	$42.50	120	0.04
Wyoming	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (10 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for aerospace engineers

89 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$191,260	$165,431	510
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$181,630	$164,486	930
Omaha, NE-IA	$171,380	$186,463	—
Boulder, CO	$167,160	$158,894	800
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$166,980	$159,809	1,220
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$166,420	$152,842	2,420
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$163,580	$147,193	5,480
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$163,280	$143,775	5,200
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$159,950	$152,592	120
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$156,190	$147,653	2,010

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	5,480	$163,580	$147,193
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	5,200	$163,280	$143,775
Huntsville, AL	4,880	$131,090	$140,848
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	3,430	$134,570	$130,536
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	2,420	$166,420	$152,842
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	2,010	$156,190	$147,653
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1,890	$133,970	$135,832
Tucson, AZ	1,720	$106,760	$110,180
Wichita, KS	1,430	$130,720	$146,966
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	1,400	$129,410	$139,610

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves aerospace engineer pay: employers and settings

Employer type is a strong pay signal. Computer systems design firms pay a median of $152,310 and scientific research and development services pay $149,260 (together they employ only about one in eight aerospace engineers). The federal government pays $142,630 (a little more than the $137,030 median in aerospace product and parts manufacturing, where most engineers work). Engineering services firms pay $131,610. Instrument manufacturers, which build navigation and control systems, pay $126,740. State government, which includes public universities, pays $99,670.

Location adds to the spread. Minnesota has the highest median at $159,060, followed by Washington at $158,370, California at $157,620, the District of Columbia at $157,600, and Maryland at $156,750. Medians are lowest in Nevada at $96,730, Idaho at $95,700, and Wisconsin at $88,400. Minnesota stays on top after adjusting for living costs, at $161,284.

Across the occupation, pay runs from $86,700, the 10th percentile, to $205,890, the 90th. Where an engineer lands in that range depends on factors these figures do not break out, such as experience, a security clearance, a graduate degree and a move into lead or management roles.

Where aerospace engineers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	38.3%	$137,030
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	16.4%	$131,610
Federal Executive Branch	14%	$142,630
Scientific Research and Development Services	8.6%	$149,260
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	8.5%	$126,740
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	3.5%	$152,310

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	57,570	$134,240
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	9,510	$142,630
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	600	$99,670

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Aerospace Engineer pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$135K $108K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $107,830 in 2015 to $134,960 in 2025, up 25% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $145,765 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 7% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What aerospace engineers do

An aerospace engineer designs, analyzes and tests aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, missiles and drones. Most specialize early. Aeronautical engineers work on vehicles that fly inside the atmosphere, such as airliners, fighter jets, helicopters and unmanned aircraft. Astronautical engineers work on launch vehicles, satellites and other spacecraft. Within either branch, an engineer usually owns one discipline: aerodynamics, structures and stress analysis, propulsion, guidance and control, avionics, or flight test.

The largest employer group is aerospace product and parts manufacturing, at 38.3% of jobs, followed by engineering services firms and the federal government, which employs about one in seven through agencies such as NASA, the Air Force and the FAA. Much of the work is done at a computer, building models, running simulations and writing reports, then checking those predictions in wind tunnels, structural test rigs or flight tests. Engineers work in teams with mechanical, electrical and software engineers, technicians and program managers. Defense and space programs often require a security clearance, and schedules can stretch past 40 hours near test campaigns and deadlines.

A typical day

Turn customer or mission requirements into a concept design and check whether it is feasible on cost and schedule
Build computer models of loads, airflow, heat or trajectories and use them to size parts and systems
Plan and run tests on prototypes, from wind tunnel and vibration tests to full flight tests, and compare results with predictions
Track down the cause of failures or damage reported from the field and propose design fixes
Review drawings and analyses from other engineers for accuracy and compliance with safety and regulatory standards
Write test plans, design reports and certification documents for managers, customers and regulators
Coordinate with suppliers, technicians and manufacturing staff as parts are built and assembled

Also called: aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer, rocket scientist, aerospace stress engineer, avionics engineer, design engineer, flight controls engineer, flight systems test engineer.

How to become an aerospace engineer

Full guide

To become an aerospace engineer, you earn a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering (or mechanical engineering or physics) from an ABET-accredited program, which takes about 4 years. No license is needed to start; a Professional Engineer (PE) license is optional and comes after the FE exam and about four years of work.

Typical time: 4-5 years; Fastest: 4 years
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or a related engineering field, ideally from an ABET-accredited program
License: Not required for most jobs; a state Professional Engineer (PE) license is optional and needed only to sign off on work offered to the public
Typical training cost: $50.0K–$62.5K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an aerospace engineer: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 4-5 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $50.0K–$62.5K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $134,960; $83,980 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 37–46%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($83,980 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (4-5 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for aerospace engineers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +8.3%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 68,700; 74,400 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 3,800; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 0.2%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects aerospace engineering jobs to grow 8.3% from 2025 to 2035, from 68,700 to 74,400, compared with 3.5% for all occupations. That works out to about 3,800 openings a year, many of them created when engineers retire or change fields. Demand comes from airliners being redesigned to burn less fuel and make less noise, from cheaper satellite launches that make small commercial satellites practical, and from new uses for drones such as wildfire detection.

Related careers and their pay

Mechanical Engineer$104,110
Aircraft Mechanic$79,870
Electrical Engineer$120,630
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Aerospace Engineer salary FAQ

How much do aerospace engineers make an hour?

The median hourly wage for aerospace engineers was $64.89 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $41.68 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $98.98. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays aerospace engineers the most?

Minnesota has the highest median pay for aerospace engineers, $159,060 a year, followed by Washington ($158,370) and California ($157,620). After adjusting for each state's price level, Minnesota comes out ahead at about $161,284 in national-average dollars.

Do aerospace engineers make $200,000 a year?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of aerospace engineers earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $134,960, and the top 10% earn more than $205,890. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between aerospace and aeronautical engineering?

Aeronautical engineering is one branch of aerospace engineering and covers vehicles that fly within the atmosphere, such as airplanes, helicopters and drones. The other branch, astronautical engineering, covers spacecraft, satellites and launch vehicles. Most university degrees are titled aerospace engineering and teach both, and the official job title covers both. You usually specialize through electives, research projects and your first job.

Do aerospace engineers need a security clearance?

Many do, but not all. Engineers on defense projects, such as military aircraft, missiles and some space programs, often need a clearance, and some types and levels require U.S. citizenship. The employer sponsors the clearance after hiring, and the background investigation can take months. Commercial aviation and some commercial space jobs do not require one, though export-control rules can still limit who may work on certain technology.

Is aerospace engineering a hard major?

It is one of the more demanding engineering majors. The first two years are heavy on calculus, differential equations, physics and chemistry, and later courses in aerodynamics, structures, propulsion and control systems build directly on that math. Expect long problem sets, lab reports and a team design project in your final year. Students who struggle with calculus usually find the later courses hard to keep up with.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 17-2011
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (17-2011.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Aerospace Engineers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
FE exam, NCEES · checked October 28, 2026
PE exam, NCEES · checked October 28, 2026
Find ABET-accredited programs, ABET · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026

Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.