Aerospace Engineers: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $106,110–$169,690. 67,710 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
94% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $106,133.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 3,800 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 30% | Mechanical Engineering |
| Aerospace Engineering | 20% | Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering |
| General Engineering | 8% | Engineering |
| Electrical Engineering | 7% | Electrical Engineering |
| Physics | 2% | Physics |
| Chemical Engineering | 2% | Chemical Engineering |
| General Business | 2% | Business |
| Industrial And Manufacturing Engineering | 2% | Industrial Engineering |
| Civil Engineering | 2% | Civil Engineering |
| Computer Engineering | 1% | Computer Engineering |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $159,060 |
| Washington | $158,370 |
| California | $157,620 |
| District of Columbia | $157,600 |
| Maryland | $156,750 |
| Colorado | $156,190 |
| Massachusetts | $149,470 |
| Vermont | $144,400 |
| Virginia | $143,210 |
| Georgia | $140,460 |
| Ohio | $138,440 |
| Hawaii | $137,240 |
| South Carolina | $137,030 |
| Louisiana | $136,970 |
| Utah | $135,840 |
| Nebraska | $135,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,940 |
| New Mexico | $132,850 |
| Missouri | $130,680 |
| Kansas | $130,330 |
| New York | $130,330 |
| Texas | $130,270 |
| Connecticut | $129,500 |
| Florida | $129,280 |
| Michigan | $128,960 |
| Tennessee | $128,510 |
| Alabama | $127,540 |
| New Jersey | $126,430 |
| Kentucky | $126,130 |
| Oklahoma | $125,470 |
| Oregon | $124,630 |
| Arizona | $123,170 |
| North Carolina | $122,930 |
| Mississippi | $109,200 |
| Illinois | $108,940 |
| Indiana | $107,400 |
| Arkansas | $102,040 |
| Alaska | $101,710 |
| Nevada | $96,730 |
| Idaho | $95,700 |
| Wisconsin | $88,400 |
Florida metro areas
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$131,570
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$131,210
- Jacksonville$119,430
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$124,420
- Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin$128,440
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$126,500
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$122,270
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$166,420
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$139,010
- Richmond$120,370
- Charlottesville$122,690
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$163,280
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$181,630
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$135,010
- Bakersfield-Delano$128,720
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$191,260
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$132,230
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$129,530
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$128,670
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Science
Knowledge used
- Engineering and Technology
- Design
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Physics
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Innovation
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
People in this job tend to have Investigative (analytical), Realistic (hands-on), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Aerospace Engineers: questions
How much do aerospace Engineers make?
Aerospace Engineers earn a U.S. median $134,960 a year; the middle half earn $106,110 to $169,690 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $104,947 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is aerospace Engineers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 8.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,800 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be an aerospace Engineer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is mechanical Engineering (30%).
How much do aerospace Engineers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $129,280 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $134,960 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 17-2011. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Aerospace Engineers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/aerospace-engineers.