Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Aerospace engineers design and work on advanced systems where strong analytical and technical abilities are essential. Nationally, this occupation employs about 72,000 people, with a projected employment growth rate of 6.1%. That growth, combined with approximately 4,000 annual openings, suggests a steady flow of opportunities for new and experienced professionals. This field relies heavily on critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, computers and information technology, and science, supported by strong writing, reading, and communication skills. Creativity, innovation, and problem solving are also important, along with adaptability and project management capabilities. The career can be attractive for people who enjoy complex, technical challenges and long-term projects. With a national median salary of $134,830 and multiple states and metro areas offering higher median pay, aerospace engineering can provide strong earning potential for individuals prepared to meet its rigorous technical and educational expectations.
Aerospace engineers earn a national median annual salary of $134,830, indicating substantial earning potential across the occupation. Pay varies by location, with several states and metro areas reporting higher median salaries. Among states, Washington shows a median of $158,370, California $157,620, Colorado $156,190, and Massachusetts $149,470, while New York reports $130,330. At the metro level, median salaries reach $191,260 in San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, $181,630 in San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA, and $166,420 in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ metro shows $126,620, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH reports $149,470. These figures indicate that certain regions, particularly specific California and Washington, DC–area metros, offer notably higher median pay than the national median, giving location-focused job seekers options to target higher-salary markets within this field.
Aerospace engineers have a national employment base of about 72,000 workers, with projected growth of 6.1%. This projected increase, along with approximately 4,000 annual openings, reflects ongoing demand that can come from new positions as well as turnover in existing roles. The consistent 6.1% growth rate is also reflected in the top states and metro areas highlighted for this occupation, suggesting that expansion is broadly distributed rather than concentrated in one region. For students and career changers, this combination of established employment, projected growth, and recurring annual openings points to a field with continuing hiring activity over time. While competition can vary by employer and region, the data show that aerospace engineering is expected to maintain forward momentum nationally, creating opportunities for both new graduates and experienced engineers who keep their skills aligned with the core demands of the profession.
Location plays a significant role in aerospace engineering opportunities, with several states and metro areas standing out. Among states, California leads with a median salary of $157,620, employment of 9,170, and an opportunity score of 67.38. Washington offers a median of $158,370 and employment of 5,760, while Colorado has $156,190 and 4,070 employed, both with solid opportunity scores. Massachusetts and New York also appear as strong options, with median salaries of $149,470 and $130,330 and opportunity scores above 65 in both cases. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ have the highest opportunity scores, above 77. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA reports the highest listed median salary at $191,260. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also combine substantial employment with strong salaries, giving candidates multiple geographic strategies depending on their preferences for pay, job concentration, and opportunity score.
The typical education for aerospace engineers is a bachelor’s degree, which provides the foundation for the technical and analytical work in this field. Success in this occupation relies on a combination of strong quantitative and communication skills. Key competencies include critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, and science, supported by solid abilities in computers and information technology. Writing and reading are important for working with technical documentation and communicating ideas clearly, while speaking and listening skills support collaboration. Creativity and innovation are also emphasized, along with problem solving and decision making, reflecting the need to develop and evaluate complex engineering solutions. Adaptability helps engineers respond to evolving project requirements, and project management skills support planning, coordination, and delivery of work. For students and career changers, building a bachelor’s-level education that strengthens these skills is central to preparing for entry into aerospace engineering roles.
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