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Job outlook for aeronautical engineers in the United States
Are aeronautical engineer jobs in demand?
Aeronautical engineer job and salary trends over time
Aeronautical engineer jobs over time
Aeronautical engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,407 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,506 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,570 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,589 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,634 | 0.00% |
Average aeronautical engineer salary over time
Aeronautical engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $80,442 | $38.67 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $79,011 | $37.99 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $78,143 | $37.57 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $76,658 | $36.85 | +3.1% |
| 2021 | $74,365 | $35.75 | +1.7% |
Aeronautical engineer jobs by state
Most common states for aeronautical engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 179 | 26% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 656 | 8% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 347 | 6% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 61 | 6% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 355 | 5% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 254 | 5% |
| 7 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,451 | 4% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 290 | 4% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 181 | 4% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 135 | 4% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 22 | 4% |
| 12 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 191 | 3% |
| 13 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 161 | 3% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 142 | 3% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 54 | 3% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 40 | 3% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 18 | 3% |
| 18 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 217 | 2% |
| 19 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 197 | 2% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 19 | 2% |
Most common cities for aeronautical engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeSoto | 2 | 4% | $80,368 |
| 2 | Balch Springs | 1 | 4% | $80,208 |
| 3 | Colleyville | 1 | 4% | $80,213 |
| 4 | Palmdale | 4 | 3% | $91,239 |
| 5 | Marietta | 2 | 3% | $73,373 |
| 6 | Cleburne | 1 | 3% | $80,673 |
| 7 | Duncanville | 1 | 3% | $80,339 |
| 8 | Bedford | 1 | 2% | $80,240 |
| 9 | Burleson | 1 | 2% | $80,537 |
| 10 | Cedar Hill | 1 | 2% | $80,400 |
| 11 | Coppell | 1 | 2% | $80,116 |
| 12 | Carrollton | 1 | 1% | $80,060 |
| 13 | Arlington | 1 | 0% | $80,317 |
| 14 | Dallas | 1 | 0% | $80,205 |
Aeronautical Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of aeronautical engineer experts
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Cincinnati State Technical & Community College
Weber State University
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of Alaska Fairbanks
What general advice would you give to an Aeronautical Engineer?
Ms. Tracee Friess A.V.P.: You can get on a flight with a bunch of other people and with a high degree of confidence tell yourself it is not just magic pixie dust that makes the plane fly.
What Aeronautical Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ms. Tracee Friess A.V.P.: Aerospace Engineers use knowledge of physics, mathematics, chemistry and other science and non-science disciplines to design flight and space vehicles for specific applications.
What will help Aeronautical Engineers increase their earning potential?
Ms. Tracee Friess A.V.P.: An exciting thing about the discipline of aerospace engineering is the small margins of error. The only thing smaller than the safety margins are the profit margins.
Jiayue Shen
Mechanical Engineering Technology Program CoordinatorWhat will help Aeronautical Engineers increase their earning potential?
Jiayue Shen: In the next 3-5 years, skills such as electronic control, basic programming, and critical thinking will become increasingly important in the field of Mechanical Engineering Technology. As industries like robotics, automation, and semiconductors continue to grow, professionals will need to be well-versed in these areas to stay competitive. Additionally, skills such as collaboration and effective oral and written communication will be crucial for advancing in one's career.
What Aeronautical Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mohammed Daqaq: Given its breadth, I feel that ME is the most versatile engineering degree. It covers many different fundamental fields including thermofluidic sciences, dynamical systems, controls, design, mechatronics, robotics, etc. With minor additional training, ME graduates can also easily adapt to work in the aerospace industry, nuclear, and bioengineering domains. Thus, an ME degree is always trendy and companies seek to hire ME graduates regardless of how the market changes.
Uises Gonzalez-Valle
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
What will help Aeronautical Engineers increase their earning potential?
Uises Gonzalez-Valle: The beginning of professional life is not simple independent of the career path that you follow and ME and MET can have their own complications. However, some good advice would be to develop independence and adaptability which are key traits of an engineer, and always keep yourself updated with the most recent technological developments. If you are independent and adaptable, you have all the skills to learn and further your professional development. In addition, I would say it is essential to start building a network, including peers and mentors. Having a strong network of peers and mentors helps you significantly to progress in your professional line. From day-to-day to daily changing decisions, having a strong network to support would significantly help in building your professional path. Lastly, I would say that having a good Work-life balance is vital too, since our personal life is as important as our professional life. Remember, we should work to live instead of live to work.
Mike DeVore Ph.D.
Professor & Program ChairCincinnati State Technical & Community College
Mechanical Engineering Technology
What hard/technical skills are most important for Aeronautical Engineers?
Mike DeVore Ph.D.: -Computer-Aided Design
-Knowledge of manufacturing processes
-A good mathematics foundation
-Technical communication
-Problem solving
What will help Aeronautical Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. A. Tye Gardner Ph.D.: Getting a master's degree goes a long way to making candidates stand out and improving earnings. My recommendation is to tailor your MS degree to the specific field you're interested in working in, because employers really want to see candidates that are passionate about the field, and very few people survive a graduate degree without at least a little passion. Available salary data indicates that if you choose an affordable program (let's just say Weber State University), it takes only a few years to pay off the added cost, increases starting salaries, and dramatically improves long-term earning potential. Moreover, you can find electrical engineers with MBAs at C-level positions all over the country. It turns out being an EE makes you a good candidate for business leadership.
Charles Jenckes
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
Mechanical Engineering
What skills stand out on Aeronautical Engineer resumes?
Charles Jenckes: For new graduates
1.Where the candidate went to school and what was studied
2.GPA
3.Any successful internships
4.Projects completed by the student
How would you rate the starting salaries for Aeronautical Engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang: Above average, but you won't be a millionaire easily (you can with some effort, saving, and investing well). It is very unlikely you'll ever be *super* wealthy, but it's also very unlikely you'll ever not find employment in your field. You'll have a solid ticket to a modestly comfortable life, with some luxuries, too.