SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Perform engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. May conduct basic and applied research to evaluate adaptability of materials and equipment to aircraft design and manufacture. May recommend improvements in testing equipment and techniques.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $86,700 | $7,225 | $1,667 | $41.68 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $106,110 | $8,842 | $2,041 | $51.02 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $134,960 | $11,247 | $2,595 | $64.89 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $169,690 | $14,141 | $3,263 | $81.58 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $205,890 | $17,158 | $3,959 | $98.98 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Aerospace Engineers is $134,960, which is 165% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 3 by median pay. With 67,710 jobs, it makes up about 4.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Aerospace Engineers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Minnesota ($159,060), Washington ($158,370) and California ($157,620). The lowest was in Wisconsin ($88,400), Idaho ($95,700) and Nevada ($96,730). The most jobs were in California (9,170), Texas (6,750) and Alabama (5,820). The occupation is most concentrated in Alabama, where its share of all jobs is 6.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 140 | $159,060 | $145,470 | $76.47 |
| Washington | 5,760 | $158,370 | $156,000 | $76.14 |
| California | 9,170 | $157,620 | $159,960 | $75.78 |
| District of Columbia | 290 | $157,600 | $154,410 | $75.77 |
| Maryland | 3,180 | $156,750 | $159,590 | $75.36 |
| Colorado | 4,070 | $156,190 | $157,060 | $75.09 |
| Massachusetts | 990 | $149,470 | $145,810 | $71.86 |
| Vermont | 100 | $144,400 | $138,620 | $69.42 |
| Virginia | 2,540 | $143,210 | $155,770 | $68.85 |
| Georgia | 2,230 | $140,460 | $140,290 | $67.53 |
| Ohio | 3,710 | $138,440 | $137,590 | $66.56 |
| Hawaii | 40 | $137,240 | $158,520 | $65.98 |
| South Carolina | 650 | $137,030 | $131,390 | $65.88 |
| Louisiana | 90 | $136,970 | $143,670 | $65.85 |
| Utah | 1,010 | $135,840 | $139,280 | $65.31 |
| Nebraska | 130 | $135,670 | $145,420 | $65.23 |
| Pennsylvania | 990 | $133,940 | $135,340 | $64.40 |
| New Mexico | 570 | $132,850 | $141,430 | $63.87 |
| Missouri | 650 | $130,680 | $139,820 | $62.83 |
| Kansas | 1,730 | $130,330 | $125,550 | $62.66 |
| New York | 560 | $130,330 | $135,720 | $62.66 |
| Texas | 6,750 | $130,270 | $137,010 | $62.63 |
| Connecticut | 1,160 | $129,500 | $128,380 | $62.26 |
| Florida | 3,250 | $129,280 | $131,070 | $62.15 |
| Michigan | not published | $128,960 | $125,820 | $62.00 |
| Tennessee | 610 | $128,510 | $122,320 | $61.78 |
| Alabama | 5,820 | $127,540 | $131,910 | $61.32 |
| New Jersey | 3,400 | $126,430 | $131,410 | $60.79 |
| Kentucky | 290 | $126,130 | $133,200 | $60.64 |
| Oklahoma | 1,090 | $125,470 | $120,160 | $60.32 |
| Oregon | 250 | $124,630 | $130,080 | $59.92 |
| Arizona | 3,110 | $123,170 | $130,150 | $59.22 |
| North Carolina | 650 | $122,930 | $127,500 | $59.10 |
| Mississippi | 90 | $109,200 | $118,560 | $52.50 |
| Illinois | 200 | $108,940 | $125,610 | $52.38 |
| Indiana | 440 | $107,400 | $118,360 | $51.63 |
| Arkansas | 180 | $102,040 | $102,100 | $49.06 |
| Alaska | 100 | $101,710 | $113,920 | $48.90 |
| Nevada | 270 | $96,730 | $118,420 | $46.51 |
| Idaho | 190 | $95,700 | $98,710 | $46.01 |
| Wisconsin | 120 | $88,400 | $103,580 | $42.50 |
| Iowa | 40 | not published | not published | not published |
| New Hampshire | 40 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Computer Hardware Engineers$161,740 a year
- Petroleum Engineers$144,910 a year
- Nuclear Engineers$133,970 a year
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$130,220 a year
- Chemical Engineers$125,040 a year
Common questions
How much do Aerospace Engineers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $134,960 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $86,700 and the highest-paid 10% more than $205,890.
How many people work as Aerospace Engineers?
About 67,710 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.