Pay by state · 41 states
Aerospace Engineer Salary by State (2026)
Aerospace Engineers earn the most in Minnesota at $159,060 a year and the least in Wisconsin at $88,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $134,960. All 41 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $159,060Minnesota
- National median
- $134,960BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $88,400Wisconsin
- States reporting
- 41of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Aerospace Engineer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of aerospace engineers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MNMinnesota | $159,060 | $100,300 | $180,350 | 140 | $161,284 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $158,370 | $130,560 | $181,460 | 5,760 | $147,991 |
| 3 | CACalifornia | $157,620 | $129,010 | $193,060 | 9,170 | $142,359 |
| 4 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $157,600 | $105,870 | $195,190 | 290 | $143,402 |
| 5 | MDMaryland | $156,750 | $119,540 | $195,190 | 3,180 | $149,344 |
| 6 | COColorado | $156,190 | $128,440 | $180,310 | 4,070 | $151,564 |
| 7 | MAMassachusetts | $149,470 | $98,850 | $182,370 | 990 | $141,333 |
| 8 | VTVermont | $144,400 | $110,470 | $164,590 | 100 | $147,410 |
| 9 | VAVirginia | $143,210 | $119,830 | $184,590 | 2,540 | $141,646 |
| 10 | GAGeorgia | $140,460 | $106,510 | $162,060 | 2,230 | $145,867 |
| 11 | OHOhio | $138,440 | $100,440 | $170,540 | 3,710 | $149,223 |
| 12 | HIHawaii | $137,240 | $134,070 | $163,880 | 40 | $124,819 |
| 13 | SCSouth Carolina | $137,030 | $102,280 | $160,620 | 650 | $146,167 |
| 14 | LALouisiana | $136,970 | $118,370 | $160,930 | 90 | $155,282 |
| 15 | UTUtah | $135,840 | $116,800 | $161,060 | 1,010 | $137,401 |
| 16 | NENebraska | $135,670 | $104,140 | $171,380 | 130 | $150,572 |
| 17 | PAPennsylvania | $133,940 | $111,500 | $162,420 | 990 | $137,273 |
| 18 | NMNew Mexico | $132,850 | $104,830 | $161,420 | 570 | $144,070 |
| 19 | MOMissouri | $130,680 | $96,790 | $179,260 | 650 | $143,894 |
| 20 | KSKansas | $130,330 | $97,950 | $166,900 | 1,730 | $144,702 |
| 21 | NYNew York | $130,330 | $101,970 | $162,210 | 560 | $120,764 |
| 22 | TXTexas | $130,270 | $103,810 | $166,980 | 6,750 | $134,220 |
| 23 | CTConnecticut | $129,500 | $104,560 | $142,970 | 1,160 | $124,988 |
| 24 | FLFlorida | $129,280 | $104,790 | $156,370 | 3,250 | $125,012 |
| 25 | MIMichigan | $128,960 | $97,070 | $147,330 | N/A | $134,030 |
| 26 | TNTennessee | $128,510 | $99,080 | $136,990 | 610 | $139,882 |
| 27 | ALAlabama | $127,540 | $98,190 | $165,410 | 5,820 | $143,589 |
| 28 | NJNew Jersey | $126,430 | $103,980 | $159,710 | 3,400 | $116,199 |
| 29 | KYKentucky | $126,130 | $105,000 | $166,300 | 290 | $139,897 |
| 30 | OKOklahoma | $125,470 | $97,900 | $136,990 | 1,090 | $142,834 |
| 31 | OROregon | $124,630 | $99,250 | $162,550 | 250 | $120,577 |
| 32 | AZArizona | $123,170 | $96,700 | $161,220 | 3,110 | $122,342 |
| 33 | NCNorth Carolina | $122,930 | $94,210 | $149,990 | 650 | $130,325 |
| 34 | MSMississippi | $109,200 | $92,190 | $141,130 | 90 | $125,585 |
| 35 | ILIllinois | $108,940 | $98,300 | $153,800 | 200 | $108,986 |
| 36 | INIndiana | $107,400 | $85,080 | $135,450 | 440 | $115,077 |
| 37 | ARArkansas | $102,040 | $78,810 | $124,500 | 180 | $117,372 |
| 38 | AKAlaska | $101,710 | $98,330 | $114,310 | 100 | $99,366 |
| 39 | NVNevada | $96,730 | $86,690 | $136,570 | 270 | $96,750 |
| 40 | IDIdaho | $95,700 | $76,970 | $120,000 | 190 | $100,216 |
| 41 | WIWisconsin | $88,400 | $73,940 | $131,400 | 120 | $93,948 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Aerospace Engineers, that changes the ranking: Minnesota leads on raw pay at $159,060, while Minnesota leads once prices are taken into account at $161,284.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Aerospace Engineer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Aerospace Engineers the most?
Minnesota reports the highest median wage for Aerospace Engineers at $159,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($158,370) and California ($157,620).
Which state pays Aerospace Engineers the least?
Wisconsin reports the lowest median for Aerospace Engineers at $88,400 a year, $70,660 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Aerospace Engineers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Minnesota first at $161,284 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $159,060. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.