National salary
What Is the Average Aerospace Engineer Salary?
The BLS reports a $134,960 national median for aerospace engineers in May 2025. The mean is $142,060, but the median is the more useful midpoint because it is less sensitive to a smaller number of very high wages.
BLS estimates 67,710 jobs in this occupation. The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is $86,700 to $205,890, a difference of $119,190. Employer, setting, specialty, location, and responsibility all sit inside that national range.
Percentiles describe where wages fall across the occupation. They do not assign a wage to a specific experience level.
What moves the number
What Affects an Aerospace Engineer Salary?
Technical Responsibility
Engineers who own a subsystem, resolve difficult failures, or coordinate work across teams carry more responsibility than entry-level contributors.
Specialized Work
Structures, controls, propulsion, systems integration, and research roles draw on different technical depth and employer markets.
Employer and Location
Manufacturers, engineering services firms, federal agencies, and research organizations do not share one pay structure. State wage medians also sit on very different employment bases.
Graduate Education and Experience
A graduate degree can open research, development, and university teaching work. Experience can lead to technical leadership or supervision.
State comparison
Aerospace Engineer Salary by State
The table lists the 10 states with the highest median salary beside each employment estimate, and the picker adds any other state. The job count matters: a high figure based on a small occupational market describes a different opportunity than a similar figure supported by thousands of jobs.
The largest state employment estimates for aerospace engineers are California (9,170 jobs), Texas (6,750 jobs), and Alabama (5,820 jobs). Read those market sizes against the national estimate of 67,710 jobs before treating a state wage as a relocation signal.
| Rank | State | Median | 10th–90th percentile | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $159,060 | $85,330–$194,950 | 140 |
| 2 | Washington | $158,370 | $112,580–$207,710 | 5,760 |
| 3 | California | $157,620 | $104,370–$220,670 | 9,170 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $157,600 | $98,200–$196,310 | 290 |
| 5 | Maryland | $156,750 | $97,460–$232,930 | 3,180 |
| 6 | Colorado | $156,190 | $101,970–$210,410 | 4,070 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $149,470 | $89,750–$217,840 | 990 |
| 8 | Vermont | $144,400 | $93,460–$172,160 | 100 |
| 9 | Virginia | $143,210 | $95,420–$226,950 | 2,540 |
| 10 | Georgia | $140,460 | $84,520–$205,540 | 2,230 |
| 11 | Ohio | $138,440 | $82,830–$201,670 | 3,710 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $137,240 | $117,700–$247,260 | 40 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $137,030 | $81,460–$170,150 | 650 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $136,970 | $110,300–$197,930 | 90 |
| 15 | Utah | $135,840 | $85,230–$183,810 | 1,010 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $135,670 | $86,760–$217,240 | 130 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $133,940 | $89,230–$179,820 | 990 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $132,850 | $97,350–$195,110 | 570 |
| 19 | Missouri | $130,680 | $80,390–$179,260 | 650 |
| 20 | Kansas | $130,330 | $80,860–$167,400 | 1,730 |
| 21 | New York | $130,330 | $89,130–$202,690 | 560 |
| 22 | Texas | $130,270 | $82,990–$195,190 | 6,750 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $129,500 | $86,420–$163,930 | 1,160 |
| 24 | Florida | $129,280 | $84,210–$177,070 | 3,250 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $128,510 | $79,690–$171,560 | 610 |
| 26 | Alabama | $127,540 | $78,660–$195,190 | 5,820 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $126,430 | $103,230–$163,770 | 3,400 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $126,130 | $100,440–$172,340 | 290 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $125,470 | $80,040–$161,780 | 1,090 |
| 30 | Oregon | $124,630 | $85,070–$179,470 | 250 |
| 31 | Arizona | $123,170 | $88,920–$193,990 | 3,110 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $122,930 | $79,310–$176,720 | 650 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $109,200 | $78,640–$171,220 | 90 |
| 34 | Illinois | $108,940 | $78,170–$184,520 | 200 |
| 35 | Indiana | $107,400 | $82,530–$176,860 | 440 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $102,040 | $72,590–$155,680 | 180 |
| 37 | Alaska | $101,710 | $81,650–$170,340 | 100 |
| 38 | Nevada | $96,730 | $77,920–$179,050 | 270 |
| 39 | Idaho | $95,700 | $64,870–$139,190 | 190 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $88,400 | $65,720–$147,560 | 120 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment counts are estimates and may be rounded.
Degree context
How Education Connects to Aerospace Engineer Pay
A bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or a related engineering field is the standard entry route.
The occupation is broader than designing rockets. BLS includes aeronautical work inside the atmosphere and astronautical work on spacecraft and satellites, along with guidance, navigation, controls, communications, robotics, structures, and propulsion.
The wage percentiles do not separate workers by degree or experience. Use the education requirement to decide whether the route is open to you, then use the state and national wage distributions to understand the market rather than treating one percentile as a personal forecast.
Career guide See how to become an aerospace engineer Direct route · Bachelor's degreeWhere to study
Schools That Lead Here
Common questions
Aerospace Engineer Salary FAQ
What Is the Median Aerospace Engineer Salary?
What Is the National Aerospace Engineer Salary Range?
How Many Aerospace Engineers Does BLS Count?
Does the 10Th-Percentile Aerospace Engineer Salary Mean Entry Level?
What Education Do Aerospace Engineers Need?
Primary sources
Sources for Aerospace Engineer Salary Data
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 for the national distribution, state wages, and employment estimates.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Aerospace Engineers for education, duties, and work-setting context.
Wage records and occupation facts updated October 9, 2026.