Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 17-3021 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$79,830
$38.38/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians is $79,830 per year ($38.38/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $64,563 and $102,211 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $120,453 per year. There are approximately 9,060 aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate, install, adjust, and maintain integrated computer/communications systems, consoles, simulators, and other data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments and equipment, which are used to launch, track, position, and evaluate air and space vehicles. May record and interpret test data.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+8.1%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
900
per year, on avg
Workforce today
9K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
9% from new growth91% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate'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
4K
$81,070
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
2K
$73,460
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
930
$75,560
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing
NAICS 334500
380
$83,290
Technical and Trade Schools
NAICS 611500
290
$68,590
Wage range across top 5 industries: $68,590 to $83,290 (21% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$25.83
$53,726
P25
$31.04
$64,563
P50MEDIAN
$38.38
$79,830
P75
$49.14
$102,211
P90
$57.91
$120,453
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 engineering and operations technologists and technicians salary?
The national median salary for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians is $79,830 per year ($38.38/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $64,563 and $102,211 annually.
How much do top-earning aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians is $120,453 per year ($57.91/hr). The 75th percentile is $102,211 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians?
Entry-level Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $53,726 per year ($25.83/hr). The 25th percentile is $64,563 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.
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