Aerospace Engineers
Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011) earn a median $134,960 a year ($64.89 an hour) in the United States, with 67,710 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Minnesota.
What aerospace engineers do
Aerospace engineers design, build, and test aircraft, missiles, rockets, and spacecraft, along with the systems inside them. Typical tasks include building mathematical and computer models to predict how a design will behave, drawing up the conceptual design to match what a customer or mission needs, and planning stress, environmental, and operational tests on models and prototypes to see whether they hold up. When customers report technical problems with a delivered product, aerospace engineers help investigate and resolve them. Some conduct applied research on materials and equipment suited to flight, and some recommend improvements to testing equipment and techniques. The work differs from that of aircraft mechanics and technicians, who inspect and repair aircraft rather than design them, and from mechanical engineers, whose work is not tied to flight vehicles. They also write technical reports and handbooks for engineering staff, check product data and designs against engineering principles, and direct the engineers and technicians involved in design and fabrication.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Aerodynamicist, Aeronautical Engineer, Aerospace Engineer, Aerodynamics Engineer, Aeronautical Design Engineer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $41.68 | $51.02 | $64.89 | $81.58 | $98.98 | $68.30 | 67,710 |
| Annual | $86,700 | $106,110 | $134,960 | $169,690 | $205,890 | $142,060 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where aerospace engineers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $41.02 | $48.22 | $76.47 | $86.71 | $93.72 | $69.94 | 140 | 0.05 | 0.11 |
| Annual | $85,330 | $100,300 | $159,060 | $180,350 | $194,950 | $145,470 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $54.12 | $62.77 | $76.14 | $87.24 | $99.86 | $75.00 | 5,760 | 1.62 | 3.73 |
| Annual | $112,580 | $130,560 | $158,370 | $181,460 | $207,710 | $156,000 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $50.18 | $62.03 | $75.78 | $92.82 | $106.09 | $76.91 | 9,170 | 0.50 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $104,370 | $129,010 | $157,620 | $193,060 | $220,670 | $159,960 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $47.21 | $50.90 | $75.77 | $93.84 | $94.38 | $74.24 | 290 | 0.42 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $98,200 | $105,870 | $157,600 | $195,190 | $196,310 | $154,410 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $46.86 | $57.47 | $75.36 | $93.84 | $111.98 | $76.73 | 3,180 | 1.15 | 2.64 |
| Annual | $97,460 | $119,540 | $156,750 | $195,190 | $232,930 | $159,590 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $50.18 | $62.03 | $75.78 | $92.82 | $106.09 | $76.91 | 9,170 | 0.50 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $104,370 | $129,010 | $157,620 | $193,060 | $220,670 | $159,960 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $39.90 | $49.91 | $62.63 | $80.28 | $93.84 | $65.87 | 6,750 | 0.48 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $82,990 | $103,810 | $130,270 | $166,980 | $195,190 | $137,010 | ||||
| Alabama | Hourly | $37.82 | $47.21 | $61.32 | $79.53 | $93.84 | $63.42 | 5,820 | 2.75 | 6.32 |
| Annual | $78,660 | $98,190 | $127,540 | $165,410 | $195,190 | $131,910 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $54.12 | $62.77 | $76.14 | $87.24 | $99.86 | $75.00 | 5,760 | 1.62 | 3.73 |
| Annual | $112,580 | $130,560 | $158,370 | $181,460 | $207,710 | $156,000 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $49.03 | $61.75 | $75.09 | $86.69 | $101.16 | $75.51 | 4,070 | 1.42 | 3.25 |
| Annual | $101,970 | $128,440 | $156,190 | $180,310 | $210,410 | $157,060 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $56.28 | $71.14 | $91.95 | $99.49 | $131.36 | $88.42 | 510 | 0.21 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $117,060 | $147,970 | $191,260 | $206,930 | $273,230 | $183,920 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $61.29 | $72.95 | $87.32 | $95.42 | $122.54 | $87.35 | 930 | 0.82 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $127,490 | $151,740 | $181,630 | $198,470 | $254,880 | $181,690 | ||||
| Omaha, NE-IA | Hourly | $55.16 | $79.46 | $82.40 | $86.96 | $104.44 | $83.04 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $114,740 | $165,270 | $171,380 | $180,880 | $217,240 | $172,720 | ||||
| Boulder, CO | Hourly | $49.67 | $61.85 | $80.36 | $101.15 | $101.16 | $79.57 | 800 | 4.17 | 9.56 |
| Annual | $103,320 | $128,640 | $167,160 | $210,380 | $210,410 | $165,500 | ||||
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | Hourly | $47.81 | $54.76 | $80.28 | $102.15 | $119.87 | $79.41 | 1,220 | 0.90 | 2.06 |
| Annual | $99,450 | $113,900 | $166,980 | $212,480 | $249,340 | $165,160 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $54.16 | $63.42 | $78.64 | $87.27 | $99.86 | $75.47 | 5,480 | 2.62 | 6.03 |
| Annual | $112,650 | $131,910 | $163,580 | $181,520 | $207,710 | $156,970 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $52.08 | $62.75 | $78.50 | $88.07 | $109.35 | $77.66 | 5,200 | 0.83 | 1.91 |
| Annual | $108,330 | $130,530 | $163,280 | $183,190 | $227,440 | $161,520 | ||||
| Huntsville, AL | Hourly | $37.93 | $48.11 | $63.02 | $80.31 | $93.84 | $65.22 | 4,880 | 18.30 | 42.03 |
| Annual | $78,890 | $100,070 | $131,090 | $167,050 | $195,190 | $135,660 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $46.46 | $51.76 | $64.70 | $85.32 | $102.96 | $68.49 | 3,430 | 0.85 | 1.95 |
| Annual | $96,650 | $107,660 | $134,570 | $177,470 | $214,150 | $142,450 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $50.01 | $63.71 | $80.01 | $93.84 | $120.19 | $81.15 | 2,420 | 0.77 | 1.77 |
| Annual | $104,030 | $132,510 | $166,420 | $195,190 | $249,990 | $168,780 | ||||
Top industries employing aerospace engineers
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing employ 38.3% of aerospace engineers nationally (25,900 jobs) at a median $137,030 a year ($65.88 an hour), followed by Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (16.4%) and Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) (14.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 25,900 | 38.3% | $137,030 | $65.88 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 11,130 | 16.4% | $131,610 | $63.27 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 9,510 | 14.0% | $142,630 | $68.57 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 5,820 | 8.6% | $149,260 | $71.76 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing NAICS 334500 | 5,770 | 8.5% | $126,740 | $60.93 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (67,710). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $122,270 for aerospace engineers in May 2021 and $134,960 in May 2025, with employment of 56,640 and 67,710.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $122,270 | $58.78 | 56,640 |
| May 2022 | $126,880 | $61.00 | 61,580 |
| May 2023 | $130,720 | $62.85 | 66,660 |
| May 2024 | $134,830 | $64.82 | 68,440 |
| May 2025 | $134,960 | $64.89 | 67,710 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
43 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota profile | $76.47 | $159,060 | $85,330 | $194,950 | 140 | 0.05 | 0.11 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $76.14 | $158,370 | $112,580 | $207,710 | 5,760 | 1.62 | 3.73 |
| 3 | California profile | $75.78 | $157,620 | $104,370 | $220,670 | 9,170 | 0.50 | 1.16 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | $75.77 | $157,600 | $98,200 | $196,310 | 290 | 0.42 | 0.96 |
| 5 | Maryland profile | $75.36 | $156,750 | $97,460 | $232,930 | 3,180 | 1.15 | 2.64 |
| 6 | Colorado profile | $75.09 | $156,190 | $101,970 | $210,410 | 4,070 | 1.42 | 3.25 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $71.86 | $149,470 | $89,750 | $217,840 | 990 | 0.27 | 0.63 |
| 8 | Vermont profile | $69.42 | $144,400 | $93,460 | $172,160 | 100 | 0.32 | 0.74 |
| 9 | Virginia profile | $68.85 | $143,210 | $95,420 | $226,950 | 2,540 | 0.62 | 1.42 |
| 10 | Georgia profile | $67.53 | $140,460 | $84,520 | $205,540 | 2,230 | 0.46 | 1.05 |
| 11 | Ohio profile | $66.56 | $138,440 | $82,830 | $201,670 | 3,710 | 0.67 | 1.53 |
| 12 | Hawaii profile | $65.98 | $137,240 | $117,700 | $247,260 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.14 |
| 13 | South Carolina profile | $65.88 | $137,030 | $81,460 | $170,150 | 650 | 0.28 | 0.64 |
| 14 | Louisiana profile | $65.85 | $136,970 | $110,300 | $197,930 | 90 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| 15 | Utah profile | $65.31 | $135,840 | $85,230 | $183,810 | 1,010 | 0.58 | 1.33 |
| 16 | Nebraska profile | $65.23 | $135,670 | $86,760 | $217,240 | 130 | 0.13 | 0.29 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania profile | $64.40 | $133,940 | $89,230 | $179,820 | 990 | 0.16 | 0.38 |
| 18 | New Mexico profile | $63.87 | $132,850 | $97,350 | $195,110 | 570 | 0.66 | 1.51 |
| 19 | Missouri profile | $62.83 | $130,680 | $80,390 | $179,260 | 650 | 0.22 | 0.51 |
| 20 | Kansas profile | $62.66 | $130,330 | $80,860 | $167,400 | 1,730 | 1.20 | 2.76 |
| 21 | New York profile | $62.66 | $130,330 | $89,130 | $202,690 | 560 | 0.06 | 0.13 |
| 22 | Texas profile | $62.63 | $130,270 | $82,990 | $195,190 | 6,750 | 0.48 | 1.10 |
| 23 | Connecticut profile | $62.26 | $129,500 | $86,420 | $163,930 | 1,160 | 0.69 | 1.57 |
| 24 | Florida profile | $62.15 | $129,280 | $84,210 | $177,070 | 3,250 | 0.33 | 0.75 |
| 25 | Michigan profile | $62.00 | $128,960 | $76,130 | $180,160 | ** | ** | ** |
| 26 | Tennessee profile | $61.78 | $128,510 | $79,690 | $171,560 | 610 | 0.19 | 0.43 |
| 27 | Alabama profile | $61.32 | $127,540 | $78,660 | $195,190 | 5,820 | 2.75 | 6.32 |
| 28 | New Jersey profile | $60.79 | $126,430 | $103,230 | $163,770 | 3,400 | 0.79 | 1.82 |
| 29 | Kentucky profile | $60.64 | $126,130 | $100,440 | $172,340 | 290 | 0.15 | 0.34 |
| 30 | Oklahoma profile | $60.32 | $125,470 | $80,040 | $161,780 | 1,090 | 0.64 | 1.46 |
| 31 | Oregon profile | $59.92 | $124,630 | $85,070 | $179,470 | 250 | 0.13 | 0.30 |
| 32 | Arizona profile | $59.22 | $123,170 | $88,920 | $193,990 | 3,110 | 0.96 | 2.21 |
| 33 | North Carolina profile | $59.10 | $122,930 | $79,310 | $176,720 | 650 | 0.13 | 0.30 |
| 34 | Mississippi profile | $52.50 | $109,200 | $78,640 | $171,220 | 90 | 0.08 | 0.19 |
| 35 | Illinois profile | $52.38 | $108,940 | $78,170 | $184,520 | 200 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| 36 | Indiana profile | $51.63 | $107,400 | $82,530 | $176,860 | 440 | 0.14 | 0.32 |
| 37 | Arkansas profile | $49.06 | $102,040 | $72,590 | $155,680 | 180 | 0.14 | 0.31 |
| 38 | Alaska profile | $48.90 | $101,710 | $81,650 | $170,340 | 100 | 0.30 | 0.68 |
| 39 | Nevada profile | $46.51 | $96,730 | $77,920 | $179,050 | 270 | 0.17 | 0.40 |
| 40 | Idaho profile | $46.01 | $95,700 | $64,870 | $139,190 | 190 | 0.22 | 0.50 |
| 41 | Wisconsin profile | $42.50 | $88,400 | $65,720 | $147,560 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| – | Iowa profile | * | * | * | * | 40 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| – | New Hampshire profile | * | * | * | * | 40 | 0.06 | 0.14 |
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-2011 Aerospace Engineers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-2011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-2011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.