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Aeronautical engineer salary
Average aeronautical engineer salary
$80,442
Aeronautical Engineer Salary Overview
The average aeronautical engineer salary in the United States is approximately $80,442 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as geographical location, years of experience, and area of specialization. For instance, states like California and Texas often offer higher salaries due to the concentration of aerospace companies.
Entry-level positions typically start around $60,000, while experienced engineers can earn upwards of $100,000 annually. Additionally, those working in specialized fields such as propulsion or systems engineering may command higher salaries. Overall, the demand for skilled aeronautical engineers remains robust, reflecting the ongoing advancements in aviation technology and aerospace exploration.
Salary by Experience Level
- Entry-Level: $60,000 - $70,000
- Mid-Career: $80,000 - $90,000
- Experienced: $100,000+
Understanding these salary dynamics can help job seekers make informed decisions about their career paths. Whether considering a role in research and development or consulting, there are diverse opportunities to explore within this exciting field.
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Where can an Aeronautical Engineer earn more?
Aeronautical engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level aeronautical engineer | $53,300 | $25.61 |
| Mid-level aeronautical engineer | $73,200 | $35.20 |
| Senior-level aeronautical engineer | $116,000 | $55.72 |
Aeronautical engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average aeronautical engineer salary by state
The average aeronautical engineer salary in Rhode Island, California, and Ohio are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average aeronautical engineer salary states are Mississippi, Kentucky, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for aeronautical engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | $89,891 | $43.22 |
| 2 | Vermont | $89,515 | $43.04 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $97,067 | $46.67 |
| 4 | Alabama | $84,427 | $40.59 |
| 5 | Ohio | $90,562 | $43.54 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $100,453 | $48.29 |
| 7 | Michigan | $84,529 | $40.64 |
| 8 | California | $92,437 | $44.44 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $89,586 | $43.07 |
| 10 | Washington | $86,133 | $41.41 |
| 11 | Arizona | $83,230 | $40.01 |
| 12 | Nevada | $84,874 | $40.80 |
| 13 | Texas | $81,027 | $38.96 |
| 14 | Missouri | $84,989 | $40.86 |
| 15 | Maryland | $83,255 | $40.03 |
| 16 | Maine | $85,982 | $41.34 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $83,795 | $40.29 |
| 18 | Delaware | $80,335 | $38.62 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $78,484 | $37.73 |
| 20 | Colorado | $80,209 | $38.56 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $80,574 | $38.74 |
| 22 | Illinois | $80,060 | $38.49 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $80,625 | $38.76 |
| 24 | Idaho | $80,454 | $38.68 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $79,318 | $38.13 |
| 26 | Virginia | $78,997 | $37.98 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $82,192 | $39.52 |
| 28 | Oregon | $78,169 | $37.58 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $78,528 | $37.75 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $78,695 | $37.83 |
| 31 | Alaska | $79,490 | $38.22 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $78,469 | $37.73 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $78,025 | $37.51 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $78,792 | $37.88 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $78,098 | $37.55 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $76,010 | $36.54 |
| 37 | Montana | $78,731 | $37.85 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $78,842 | $37.90 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $76,200 | $36.63 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $76,449 | $36.75 |
| 41 | Utah | $71,586 | $34.42 |
| 42 | New York | $76,271 | $36.67 |
| 43 | Georgia | $73,378 | $35.28 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $76,763 | $36.91 |
| 45 | Kansas | $70,965 | $34.12 |
| 46 | Florida | $64,325 | $30.93 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $70,565 | $33.93 |
| 48 | Indiana | $63,891 | $30.72 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $70,589 | $33.94 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $64,887 | $31.20 |
| 51 | Iowa | $68,550 | $32.96 |
Highest paying cities for aeronautical engineers
The highest-paying cities for aeronautical engineers are Palo Alto, CA, Woburn, MA, and Cincinnati, OH.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto, CA | $97,664 | $46.95 |
| 2 | Woburn, MA | $89,537 | $43.05 |
| 3 | Cincinnati, OH | $88,615 | $42.60 |
| 4 | Livonia, MI | $84,687 | $40.71 |
| 5 | Waco, TX | $81,049 | $38.97 |
| 6 | Stratford, CT | $78,802 | $37.89 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $76,443 | $36.75 |
| 8 | Marietta, GA | $73,373 | $35.28 |
| 9 | Magna, UT | $71,482 | $34.37 |
| 10 | Wichita, KS | $71,088 | $34.18 |
| 11 | Clearwater, FL | $65,278 | $31.38 |
Aeronautical engineer salary details
An aeronautical engineer's salary ranges from $59,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $109,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an aeronautical engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $109,000 | $9,083 | $52 |
| 75th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| Average | $80,442 | $6,704 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
Highest paying aeronautical engineer jobs
The highest paying types of aeronautical engineers are master lay out specialist, senior engineer/scientist, and stress engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stress Analyst | $85,194 | $7,100 | $40.96 | 8,437 |
| Engineering Scientist | $90,138 | $7,511 | $43.34 | 97,496 |
| Structural Analysis Engineer | $98,208 | $8,184 | $47.22 | 26,462 |
| Flight Controls Engineer | $99,619 | $8,302 | $47.89 | 46,807 |
| Flight Test Engineer | $90,538 | $7,545 | $43.53 | 26,384 |
| Simulation Engineer | $97,266 | $8,105 | $46.76 | 46,570 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for aeronautical engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang
Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top companies hiring aeronautical engineers now:
Which companies pay aeronautical engineers the most?
Aeronautical engineer salaries at Terrafugia and Northrop Grumman are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average aeronautical engineer salary at companies like AEROSONIC and Calspan are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terrafugia | $90,757 | $43.63 |
| 2 | Northrop Grumman | $85,561 | $41.14 |
| 3 | AEROSONIC | $84,909 | $40.82 |
| 4 | Calspan | $84,693 | $40.72 |
| 5 | CTS Corporation | $83,821 | $40.30 |
| 6 | Neany | $82,428 | $39.63 |
| 7 | Banyan Air Service | $82,332 | $39.58 |
| 8 | Apollo Professional Solutions | $82,135 | $39.49 |
| 9 | Lockheed Martin | $81,925 | $39.39 |
| 10 | Air Pro Inc | $80,770 | $38.83 |
| 11 | TAD PGS | $80,257 | $38.59 |
| 12 | Datrose | $79,790 | $38.36 |
| 13 | L3Harris | $79,258 | $38.10 |
| 14 | Pacific Aviation | $78,257 | $37.62 |
| 15 | Wipro Limited | $71,286 | $34.27 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Aeronautical engineer salary trends
The average aeronautical engineer salary has risen by $10,980 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average aeronautical engineer earned $69,462 annually, but today, they earn $80,442 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for aeronautical engineers over the last decade.
Compare aeronautical engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average aeronautical engineer salary over time
Compare aeronautical engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Aeronautical engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $80,400 | $38.67 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $79,000 | $37.99 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $78,100 | $37.57 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $76,700 | $36.85 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $74,400 | $35.75 | +1.7% |
Recently added aeronautical engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman | Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Airframe Design) | Melbourne, FL | 06/20/2025 | $95,300 |
| DCS Corp | Senior Aeronautical Engineer | Beavercreek, OH | 06/07/2025 | $138,585 |
| Lockheed Martin | Aeronautical Engineer Associate/ | Kentucky | 05/14/2025 | $66,200 |
| DCS Corp | Senior Aeronautical Engineer | Rowe, MA | 05/10/2025 | $87,934 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Aeronautical Engineer-Hypersonic Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics | Littleton, CO | 05/07/2025 | $94,500 |
| Lockheed Martin | Aeronautical Engineer-Hypersonic Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics | Sunnyvale, CA | 04/16/2025 | $98,300 |
| Actalent | Hybrid Aeronautical Engineer | Akron, OH | 04/16/2025 | $108,524 |
| Noblis | Senior Aeronautics Engineer | Trenton, NJ | 04/01/2025 | $124,000 |
| Noblis | Senior Aeronautics Engineer | Boston, MA | 04/01/2025 | $124,000 |
| Noblis | Senior Aeronautics Engineer | Nashville, TN | 04/01/2025 | $124,000 |
Aeronautical engineer salary FAQs
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