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The national median salary for Aerospace Engineers is $134,826 per year ($64.82/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $104,749 and $174,470 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $205,858 per year. There are approximately 68,440 aerospace engineers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+6.1%
Faster than average
Annual openings
5K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
72K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
10% from new growth90% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
26K
$134,950
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
11K
$130,410
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
10K
$140,710
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
7K
$143,860
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing
NAICS 334500
4K
$131,990
Wage range across top 5 industries: $130,410 to $143,860 (10% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$41.04
$85,363
P25
$50.36
$104,749
P50MEDIAN
$64.82
$134,826
P75
$83.88
$174,470
P90
$98.97
$205,858
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average aerospace engineers salary?
The national median salary for Aerospace Engineers is $134,826 per year ($64.82/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $104,749 and $174,470 annually.
How much do top-earning aerospace engineers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Aerospace Engineers is $205,858 per year ($98.97/hr). The 75th percentile is $174,470 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for aerospace engineers?
Entry-level Aerospace Engineers (10th percentile) earn approximately $85,363 per year ($41.04/hr). The 25th percentile is $104,749 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.