Aerospace Engineers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for aerospace engineerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$159,960
- Maryland$159,590
- Hawaii$158,520
- Colorado$157,060
- Washington$156,000
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $159,960 | $157,620 | $77 | +12.6% | 9,170 |
| 2 | Maryland | $159,590 | $156,750 | $77 | +12.3% | 3,180 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $158,520 | $137,240 | $76 | +11.6% | 40 |
| 4 | Colorado | $157,060 | $156,190 | $76 | +10.6% | 4,070 |
| 5 | Washington | $156,000 | $158,370 | $75 | +9.8% | 5,760 |
| 6 | Virginia | $155,770 | $143,210 | $75 | +9.7% | 2,540 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $154,410 | $157,600 | $74 | +8.7% | 290 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $145,810 | $149,470 | $70 | +2.6% | 990 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $145,470 | $159,060 | $70 | +2.4% | 140 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $145,420 | $135,670 | $70 | +2.4% | 130 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $143,670 | $136,970 | $69 | +1.1% | 90 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $141,430 | $132,850 | $68 | -0.4% | 570 |
| 13 | Georgia | $140,290 | $140,460 | $67 | -1.2% | 2,230 |
| 14 | Missouri | $139,820 | $130,680 | $67 | -1.6% | 650 |
| 15 | Utah | $139,280 | $135,840 | $67 | -2% | 1,010 |
| 16 | Vermont | $138,620 | $144,400 | $67 | -2.4% | 100 |
| 17 | Ohio | $137,590 | $138,440 | $66 | -3.1% | 3,710 |
| 18 | Texas | $137,010 | $130,270 | $66 | -3.6% | 6,750 |
| 19 | New York | $135,720 | $130,330 | $65 | -4.5% | 560 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $135,340 | $133,940 | $65 | -4.7% | 990 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $133,200 | $126,130 | $64 | -6.2% | 290 |
| 22 | Alabama | $131,910 | $127,540 | $63 | -7.1% | 5,820 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $131,410 | $126,430 | $63 | -7.5% | 3,400 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $131,390 | $137,030 | $63 | -7.5% | 650 |
| 25 | Florida | $131,070 | $129,280 | $63 | -7.7% | 3,250 |
| 26 | Arizona | $130,150 | $123,170 | $63 | -8.4% | 3,110 |
| 27 | Oregon | $130,080 | $124,630 | $63 | -8.4% | 250 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $128,380 | $129,500 | $62 | -9.6% | 1,160 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $127,500 | $122,930 | $61 | -10.2% | 650 |
| 30 | Michigan | $125,820 | $128,960 | $60 | -11.4% | — |
| 31 | Illinois | $125,610 | $108,940 | $60 | -11.6% | 200 |
| 32 | Kansas | $125,550 | $130,330 | $60 | -11.6% | 1,730 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $122,320 | $128,510 | $59 | -13.9% | 610 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $120,160 | $125,470 | $58 | -15.4% | 1,090 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $118,560 | $109,200 | $57 | -16.5% | 90 |
| 36 | Nevada | $118,420 | $96,730 | $57 | -16.6% | 270 |
| 37 | Indiana | $118,360 | $107,400 | $57 | -16.7% | 440 |
| 38 | Alaska | $113,920 | $101,710 | $55 | -19.8% | 100 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $103,580 | $88,400 | $50 | -27.1% | 120 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $102,100 | $102,040 | $49 | -28.1% | 180 |
| 41 | Idaho | $98,710 | $95,700 | $47 | -30.5% | 190 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 98 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $191,260 | $183,920 | 510 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $181,630 | $181,690 | 930 |
| 3 | Omaha, NE-IA | $171,380 | $172,720 | — |
| 4 | Boulder, CO | $167,160 | $165,500 | 800 |
| 5 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $166,980 | $165,160 | 1,220 |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $166,420 | $168,780 | 2,420 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $163,580 | $156,970 | 5,480 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $163,280 | $161,520 | 5,200 |
| 9 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $159,950 | $148,790 | 120 |
| 10 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $156,190 | $154,060 | 2,010 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing aerospace engineerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $167,790 | $177,820 | — |
| 2 | Employment Services | $167,190 | $172,130 | 920 |
| 3 | Administrative and Support Services | $166,980 | $169,540 | 970 |
| 4 | Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $166,980 | $169,540 | 970 |
| 5 | Temporary Help Services | $166,970 | $167,250 | 840 |
| 6 | Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $152,310 | $152,480 | 2,390 |
| 7 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $149,260 | $150,500 | 5,820 |
| 8 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $149,260 | $150,500 | 5,820 |
| 9 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $148,950 | $165,460 | 510 |
| 10 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $142,630 | $142,320 | 9,530 |
| 11 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $142,630 | $142,360 | 9,510 |
| 12 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $142,630 | $142,360 | 9,510 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do aerospace engineers make in the U.S.?
The median aerospace engineers salary in the United States is $134,960 per year (mean $142,060), and about 80% earn between $86,700 and $205,890.
How much do aerospace engineers make per hour?
Roughly $68 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $142,060 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays aerospace engineers the most?
California has the highest average pay for aerospace engineers at $159,960 per year (median $157,620).
What is the job outlook for aerospace engineers?
Employment is projected to change +6.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 4,500 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.