Aerospace Engineers pay in the U.S.
$142,060avg. a year
$68.30 an hour · 67,710 employed
Aerospace Engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $142,060 a year and a median of $134,960. Pay is highest in California ($159,960) and lowest in Idaho ($98,710).
$134,960Median pay
$68.30Average hourly
+17%Avg. pay since 2020
67,710Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for aerospace engineers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
19,170 jobs
California
$159,960
$76.91 an hour
23,180 jobs
Maryland
$159,590
$76.73 an hour
340 jobs
Hawaii
$158,520
$76.21 an hour
44,070 jobs
Colorado
$157,060
$75.51 an hour
55,760 jobs
Washington
$156,000
$75.00 an hour
62,540 jobs
Virginia
$155,770
$74.89 an hour
7290 jobs
District of Columbia
$154,410
$74.24 an hour
8990 jobs
Massachusetts
$145,810
$70.10 an hour
9140 jobs
Minnesota
$145,470
$69.94 an hour
10130 jobs
Nebraska
$145,420
$69.92 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Aerospace Engineers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $126k$126k–$133k$133k–$144k$144k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $183,920 | $88.42 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $181,690 | $87.35 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $168,780 | $81.15 |
| Boulder, CO | $165,500 | $79.57 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $165,160 | $79.41 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $161,520 | $77.66 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $160,950 | $77.38 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $156,970 | $75.47 |
Related jobs
- Civil Engineers$108,670
- Industrial Engineers$109,900
- Mechanical Engineers$113,610
- Electrical Engineers$125,100
- Engineers, All Other$125,330
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$137,280
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Aerospace Engineers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $131,910 | $127,540 | 5,820 |
| Alaska | $113,920 | $101,710 | 100 |
| Arizona | $130,150 | $123,170 | 3,110 |
| Arkansas | $102,100 | $102,040 | 180 |
| California | $159,960 | $157,620 | 9,170 |
| Colorado | $157,060 | $156,190 | 4,070 |
| Connecticut | $128,380 | $129,500 | 1,160 |
| District of Columbia | $154,410 | $157,600 | 290 |
| Florida | $131,070 | $129,280 | 3,250 |
| Georgia | $140,290 | $140,460 | 2,230 |
| Hawaii | $158,520 | $137,240 | 40 |
| Idaho | $98,710 | $95,700 | 190 |
| Illinois | $125,610 | $108,940 | 200 |
| Indiana | $118,360 | $107,400 | 440 |
| Kansas | $125,550 | $130,330 | 1,730 |
| Kentucky | $133,200 | $126,130 | 290 |
| Louisiana | $143,670 | $136,970 | 90 |
| Maryland | $159,590 | $156,750 | 3,180 |
| Massachusetts | $145,810 | $149,470 | 990 |
| Michigan | $125,820 | $128,960 | – |
| Minnesota | $145,470 | $159,060 | 140 |
| Mississippi | $118,560 | $109,200 | 90 |
| Missouri | $139,820 | $130,680 | 650 |
| Nebraska | $145,420 | $135,670 | 130 |
| Nevada | $118,420 | $96,730 | 270 |
| New Jersey | $131,410 | $126,430 | 3,400 |
| New Mexico | $141,430 | $132,850 | 570 |
| New York | $135,720 | $130,330 | 560 |
| North Carolina | $127,500 | $122,930 | 650 |
| Ohio | $137,590 | $138,440 | 3,710 |
| Oklahoma | $120,160 | $125,470 | 1,090 |
| Oregon | $130,080 | $124,630 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $135,340 | $133,940 | 990 |
| South Carolina | $131,390 | $137,030 | 650 |
| Tennessee | $122,320 | $128,510 | 610 |
| Texas | $137,010 | $130,270 | 6,750 |
| Utah | $139,280 | $135,840 | 1,010 |
| Vermont | $138,620 | $144,400 | 100 |
| Virginia | $155,770 | $143,210 | 2,540 |
| Washington | $156,000 | $158,370 | 5,760 |
| Wisconsin | $103,580 | $88,400 | 120 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$156,970
5,480 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$161,520
5,200 jobsHuntsville, AL$135,660
4,880 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$142,450
3,430 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$168,780
2,420 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$154,060
2,010 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$138,200
1,890 jobsTucson, AZ
$120,380
1,720 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do aerospace engineers make?
The average is $142,060 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $134,960 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $68.30, and the median is $64.89 an hour.
Which state pays aerospace engineers the most?
California, with an average of $159,960 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $183,920.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $86,700 a year, and the top 10% earn over $205,890.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 17-2011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.