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Propulsion engineer salary
Average propulsion engineer salary
$98,475
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Average propulsion engineer salary by state
Highest paying states for propulsion engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $109,937 | $52.85 |
| 2 | California | $114,717 | $55.15 |
| 3 | Colorado | $106,706 | $51.30 |
| 4 | Washington | $104,417 | $50.20 |
| 5 | Alabama | $99,658 | $47.91 |
| 6 | Nebraska | $103,751 | $49.88 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $109,180 | $52.49 |
| 8 | Nevada | $106,046 | $50.98 |
| 9 | Ohio | $102,049 | $49.06 |
| 10 | Texas | $97,547 | $46.90 |
| 11 | Michigan | $95,471 | $45.90 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $94,424 | $45.40 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $99,547 | $47.86 |
| 14 | Idaho | $99,677 | $47.92 |
| 15 | Vermont | $96,943 | $46.61 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $97,828 | $47.03 |
| 17 | Oregon | $95,522 | $45.92 |
| 18 | Louisiana | $97,686 | $46.96 |
| 19 | Missouri | $97,670 | $46.96 |
| 20 | Utah | $91,592 | $44.03 |
| 21 | Arizona | $91,654 | $44.06 |
| 22 | Montana | $95,341 | $45.84 |
| 23 | Maryland | $93,691 | $45.04 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $93,257 | $44.84 |
| 25 | Alaska | $93,894 | $45.14 |
| 26 | Delaware | $90,122 | $43.33 |
| 27 | Virginia | $89,350 | $42.96 |
| 28 | Illinois | $90,550 | $43.53 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $91,387 | $43.94 |
| 30 | Maine | $92,616 | $44.53 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $90,397 | $43.46 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $89,586 | $43.07 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $87,203 | $41.92 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $88,838 | $42.71 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $91,392 | $43.94 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $88,395 | $42.50 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $88,409 | $42.50 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $88,043 | $42.33 |
| 39 | Georgia | $85,856 | $41.28 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $86,732 | $41.70 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $85,505 | $41.11 |
| 42 | New York | $84,665 | $40.70 |
| 43 | Kansas | $82,879 | $39.85 |
| 44 | Florida | $79,028 | $37.99 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $82,625 | $39.72 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $84,077 | $40.42 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $78,853 | $37.91 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $80,323 | $38.62 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $76,120 | $36.60 |
| 50 | Indiana | $72,440 | $34.83 |
| 51 | Iowa | $77,751 | $37.38 |
Propulsion engineer salary details
A propulsion engineer's salary ranges from $70,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $138,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a propulsion engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $138,000 | $11,500 | $66 |
| 75th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| Average | $98,475 | $8,206 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
Highest paying propulsion engineer jobs
The highest paying types of propulsion engineers are principal engineer, master lay out specialist, and senior engineer/scientist.
| 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 |
| Avionics Systems Engineer | $99,014 | $8,251 | $47.60 | 80,025 |
| Aircraft Engineer | $72,867 | $6,072 | $35.03 | 5,718 |
| Flight Test Engineer | $90,538 | $7,545 | $43.53 | 26,384 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for propulsion engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang
Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top companies hiring propulsion engineers now:
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Propulsion engineer salary trends
The average propulsion engineer salary has risen by $13,441 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average propulsion engineer earned $85,034 annually, but today, they earn $98,475 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for propulsion engineers over the last decade.
Compare propulsion engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average propulsion engineer salary over time
Compare propulsion engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Propulsion engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $98,500 | $47.34 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $96,700 | $46.50 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $95,700 | $45.99 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $93,800 | $45.12 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $91,000 | $43.77 | +1.7% |
Recently added propulsion engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Associate Propulsion Analysis Engineer | Hazelwood, MO | 06/30/2025 | $76,500 |
| Blue Origin | Propulsion Engineer III-Be-3U Upgrades | Huntsville, AL | 06/30/2025 | $117,498 |
| Relativity | Propulsion Engineer II, Valve Development | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $112,000 |
| Katalyst Technologies | Senior Propulsion Engineer | Flagstaff, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $130,000 |
| Ispace, Inc. | Senior Propulsion Engineer | Englewood, CO | 06/29/2025 | $126,000 |
| Spacex | Propulsion Engineer (Raptor Components) | Hawthorne, CA | 06/27/2025 | $110,000 |
| Capella Space | Staff Adcs & Propulsion Engineer | Louisville, CO | 06/27/2025 | $149,960 |
| Anduril Industries | Propulsion Engineer-Turbomachinery | Costa Mesa, CA | 06/27/2025 | $142,000 |
| General Atomics | Lead Propulsion Engineer | Englewood, CO | 06/26/2025 | $81,080 |
| Blue Origin | Propulsion Engineer-III Turbo (BE | Seattle, WA | 06/26/2025 | $117,498 |
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