Aerospace Engineers
Aerospace Engineers earn an average annual salary of $161,328, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Aerospace Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
9,330 Workforce in 2023
The Aerospace Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Aerospace Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$161,328 Average Wage
In 2023, Aerospace Engineers earned an average of $161,328.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Aerospace Engineers.
Salary distribution for Aerospace Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
32,964 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -10.4%
29,544 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -19.7%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Aerospace Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Aerospace Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Aerospace Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Aerospace Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Aerospace Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Aerospace Engineers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 9,060 employees, $161,188 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Aerospace Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 4,640 employees, $170,888 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,450 employees, $151,454 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 840 employees, $169,012 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 750 employees, $143,630 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 630 employees, $136,666 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 160 employees, $169,370 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 130 employees, $142,428 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 120 employees, $138,217 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 120 employees, $154,919 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 90 employees, $136,091 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Aerospace Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Aerospace Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Aerospace Engineers in 2023 was 9,330 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Aerospace Engineers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Aerospace Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Aerospace Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Aerospace Engineers in 2023 were Aerospace Engineering, Engineering, Physics.
Common majors for Aerospace Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Aerospace Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Aerospace Engineers.
Skills
Aerospace Engineers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Science, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Mathematics.
Required skills for Aerospace Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Aerospace Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Aerospace Engineers include Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Design, Physics, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Aerospace Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Aerospace Engineers include Written Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Information Ordering.
Required abilities for Aerospace Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Aerospace Engineers.
Daily Activities
Aerospace Engineers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Processing Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Aerospace Engineers.
About
Aerospace Engineers
The average yearly wage for Aerospace Engineers was $161,328 in 2023.
SOC Code
17-2011 - Aerospace Engineers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Aerospace Engineers reports an average salary of $161,328, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 9,330 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.