State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Aerospace Engineer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Aerospace Engineers is $134,960 a year ($64.89/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 6.1% through 2034, with about 4,500 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 17-2011Architecture and EngineeringLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $134,960
- Projected growth
- +6.1%
- Openings a year
- 4,500
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Aeronautical Engineer, Aerospace Engineer, Aerospace Stress Engineer, Avionics Engineer, Design Engineer, Flight Controls Engineer.
How much do Aerospace Engineers make?
10th percentile$86,700
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$106,110
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$134,960
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$169,690
Upper quartile
90th percentile$205,890
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $134,960 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $64.89/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $142,060 |
| People employed | 67,710 |
Versus all US occupations
At $134,960, Aerospace Engineers earn 165% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $83,980 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
Inside the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $102,440, this is 32% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $205,890 or more while the bottom 10% earn $86,700, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 92% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Minnesota pays the most at $159,060, and still leads at $161,284 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Aerospace Engineers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $159,060 | $161,284 | 140 |
| Washington | $158,370 | $147,991 | 5,760 |
| California | $157,620 | $142,359 | 9,170 |
| District of Columbia | $157,600 | $143,402 | 290 |
| Maryland | $156,750 | $149,344 | 3,180 |
| Colorado | $156,190 | $151,564 | 4,070 |
| Massachusetts | $149,470 | $141,333 | 990 |
| Vermont | $144,400 | $147,410 | 100 |
| Virginia | $143,210 | $141,646 | 2,540 |
| Georgia | $140,460 | $145,867 | 2,230 |
Is Aerospace Engineer a growing career?
Aerospace Engineers6.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+6.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Aerospace Engineers to change 6.1% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 4,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,500 openings are projected each year, 6.3% of the 71,600 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Aircraft are being redesigned for less noise pollution and better fuel efficiency, which should help drive demand for aerospace engineers.
Technological advancements have reduced the cost of launching satellites. Demand for aerospace engineers is expected to increase as space becomes more accessible, especially with developments in small satellites that have greater commercial viability. In addition, continued interest in drones for certain uses, such as forest fire detection, may help to drive employment growth for these engineers.
How to become an Aerospace Engineer
Aerospace engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or a related field to enter the occupation. Aerospace engineers who work on projects that are related to national defense may need a security clearance. Some types and levels of clearance require U.S. citizenship.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as aerospace engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree59.1%
- Master's Degree33.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)7.6%
What does an Aerospace Engineer do?
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.
Aerospace engineers design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. In addition, they create and test prototypes to make sure that they function according to design.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze project requests, proposals, or engineering data to determine feasibility, productibility, cost, or production time of aerospace or aeronautical products.
- Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
- Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
- Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
- Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircraft or aerospace products.
- Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environmental regulations, or quality standards.
- Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
- Develop design criteria for aeronautical or aerospace products or systems, including testing methods, production costs, quality standards, environmental standards, or completion dates.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most aerospace engineers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Engineers may need to work extra hours to monitor progress and troubleshoot when problems arise.
Where the work happens
- Indoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day
Physical demands
- Seated for more than half the working day
Working with people
- Face-to-face discussions every day
Autonomy
- A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Where aerospace engineers work
| Aerospace product and parts manufacturing | 37% |
|---|---|
| Engineering services | 15% |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 15% |
| Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences | 10% |
| Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing | 6% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Science4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Writing3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Mathematics3.9/5
- Monitoring3.8/5
Transferable skills
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Operations Analysis3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8/5
- Systems Evaluation3.5/5
- Systems Analysis3.4/5
- Coordination3.3/5
- Technology Design3.3/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.3/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Aerospace Engineer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.7
Investigativeprimary6.0
Artistic2.4
Social1.3
Enterprising2.5
Conventionalprimary4.4
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Aerospace Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Aerospace Engineers make?
Aerospace Engineers earn a median of $134,960 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 165% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $64.89/hr. The middle half earn between $106,110 and $169,690. The top 10% earn $205,890 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Aerospace Engineer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Aerospace Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 59.1% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Aerospace Engineer a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.1% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 4,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Aerospace Engineer do?
Aerospace engineers design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. A core O*NET task: analyze project requests, proposals, or engineering data to determine feasibility, productibility, cost, or production time of aerospace or aeronautical products. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Aerospace Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Aerospace Engineers are Minnesota ($159,060), Washington ($158,370), California ($157,620) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Aerospace Engineer?
O*NET scores Aerospace Engineers highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, INTJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.