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Aircraft engineer salary
Average aircraft engineer salary
$72,867
Average Aircraft Engineer Salary
The average salary for an aircraft engineer in the United States is approximately $72,867 per year, or about $35 per hour. Factors influencing salary include experience level, with entry-level engineers earning less than those with several years in the field. For instance, engineers with over ten years of experience can command significantly higher salaries, often exceeding $90,000 annually.
Where Can Aircraft Engineers Earn More?
Location plays a crucial role in salary differences. States like California and Texas offer higher pay for aircraft engineers due to the concentration of aerospace companies and military facilities. Additionally, companies involved in defense contracting often provide competitive salaries to attract top talent.
Exploring Job Opportunities
Aircraft engineers can find job opportunities across various sectors, including commercial aviation, defense, and space exploration. Positions may range from design and testing to maintenance and quality assurance, each with different salary expectations. Understanding these factors can help aspiring engineers navigate their career paths effectively.
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Where can an Aircraft Engineer earn more?
Aircraft engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level aircraft engineer | $48,300 | $23.20 |
| Mid-level aircraft engineer | $66,300 | $31.89 |
| Senior-level aircraft engineer | $105,000 | $50.47 |
Aircraft engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average aircraft engineer salary by state
The average aircraft engineer salary in California, Arizona, and Nebraska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average aircraft engineer salary states are West Virginia, Mississippi, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for aircraft engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $93,713 | $45.05 |
| 2 | California | $94,358 | $45.36 |
| 3 | Washington | $84,917 | $40.83 |
| 4 | Nebraska | $86,205 | $41.44 |
| 5 | Nevada | $82,765 | $39.79 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $89,599 | $43.08 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $78,443 | $37.71 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $81,575 | $39.22 |
| 9 | Delaware | $78,602 | $37.79 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $85,341 | $41.03 |
| 11 | Texas | $77,806 | $37.41 |
| 12 | Maryland | $82,209 | $39.52 |
| 13 | Colorado | $79,855 | $38.39 |
| 14 | Idaho | $82,246 | $39.54 |
| 15 | Michigan | $76,791 | $36.92 |
| 16 | Alabama | $74,852 | $35.99 |
| 17 | Virginia | $77,276 | $37.15 |
| 18 | Montana | $78,669 | $37.82 |
| 19 | Oregon | $75,650 | $36.37 |
| 20 | Utah | $73,249 | $35.22 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $76,645 | $36.85 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $75,300 | $36.20 |
| 23 | Alaska | $73,621 | $35.39 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $74,304 | $35.72 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $74,491 | $35.81 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $78,497 | $37.74 |
| 27 | Illinois | $75,145 | $36.13 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $74,718 | $35.92 |
| 29 | Ohio | $72,892 | $35.04 |
| 30 | Vermont | $72,898 | $35.05 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $75,887 | $36.48 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $71,098 | $34.18 |
| 33 | Georgia | $70,118 | $33.71 |
| 34 | Kansas | $69,661 | $33.49 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $71,076 | $34.17 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $70,868 | $34.07 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $68,615 | $32.99 |
| 38 | New York | $69,130 | $33.24 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $69,627 | $33.47 |
| 40 | Missouri | $70,020 | $33.66 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $68,904 | $33.13 |
| 42 | Indiana | $66,328 | $31.89 |
| 43 | Florida | $65,508 | $31.49 |
| 44 | Connecticut | $68,274 | $32.82 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $66,896 | $32.16 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $66,070 | $31.76 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $65,742 | $31.61 |
| 48 | Maine | $68,181 | $32.78 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $60,051 | $28.87 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $63,144 | $30.36 |
| 51 | Iowa | $62,570 | $30.08 |
Highest paying cities for aircraft engineers
The highest-paying cities for aircraft engineers are San Francisco, CA, Kirkland, WA, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $99,398 | $47.79 |
| 2 | Kirkland, WA | $85,449 | $41.08 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $82,459 | $39.64 |
| 4 | Englewood, CO | $79,853 | $38.39 |
| 5 | San Antonio, TX | $79,003 | $37.98 |
| 6 | Little Rock, AR | $75,273 | $36.19 |
| 7 | Mobile, AL | $75,255 | $36.18 |
| 8 | Lombard, IL | $75,219 | $36.16 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $69,329 | $33.33 |
| 10 | Savannah, GA | $68,912 | $33.13 |
| 11 | New Albany, IN | $66,226 | $31.84 |
| 12 | Miami, FL | $61,414 | $29.53 |
| 13 | Lake Charles, LA | $61,250 | $29.45 |
Aircraft engineer salary details
An aircraft engineer's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $99,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an aircraft engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 75th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| Average | $72,867 | $6,072 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
Highest paying aircraft engineer jobs
The highest paying types of aircraft 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 |
| Propulsion Engineer | $98,475 | $8,206 | $47.34 | 45,629 |
| Structural Analysis Engineer | $98,208 | $8,184 | $47.22 | 26,462 |
| Flight Test Engineer | $90,538 | $7,545 | $43.53 | 26,384 |
| Avionics Systems Engineer | $99,014 | $8,251 | $47.60 | 80,025 |
Top companies hiring aircraft engineers now:
Which companies pay aircraft engineers the most?
Aircraft engineer salaries at Joby Aviation and VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average aircraft engineer salary at companies like Astronics and Global Eagle Entertainment are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joby Aviation | $104,214 | $50.10 |
| 2 | VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc. | $85,644 | $41.17 |
| 3 | Astronics | $83,901 | $40.34 |
| 4 | Global Eagle Entertainment | $82,999 | $39.90 |
| 5 | ABX Air | $82,363 | $39.60 |
| 6 | Dassault Falcon Jet | $80,888 | $38.89 |
| 7 | Hi-Tek | $77,327 | $37.18 |
| 8 | MEC | $77,327 | $37.18 |
| 9 | *n/a* | $77,265 | $37.15 |
| 10 | VT San Antonio Aerospace, Inc. | $77,157 | $37.09 |
| 11 | Aeroframe | $77,098 | $37.07 |
| 12 | Intelsat | $76,296 | $36.68 |
| 13 | Smartronix | $76,152 | $36.61 |
| 14 | Air Methods | $76,007 | $36.54 |
| 15 | CTS Corporation | $74,544 | $35.84 |
| 16 | UPS | $73,920 | $35.54 |
| 17 | US Airways Center | $71,830 | $34.53 |
| 18 | Allegiant Air | $68,444 | $32.91 |
| 19 | SMX Convention Center | $66,868 | $32.15 |
| 20 | Cathay Pacific | $56,616 | $27.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Aircraft Engineer salary by industry
The average aircraft engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average aircraft engineer salary in the transportation industry is $77,998, the highest of any industry.
- The average aircraft engineer salary in the finance industry is $77,118.
- Aircraft engineers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $74,590, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for aircraft engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation | $77,998 | $37.50 |
| 2 | Professional | $77,118 | $37.08 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $76,696 | $36.87 |
| 4 | Technology | $74,590 | $35.86 |
High paying aircraft engineer jobs
Aircraft engineer salary trends
The average aircraft engineer salary has risen by $9,946 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average aircraft engineer earned $62,921 annually, but today, they earn $72,867 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for aircraft engineers over the last decade.
Compare aircraft engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average aircraft engineer salary over time
Compare aircraft engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Aircraft engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $72,900 | $35.03 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $71,600 | $34.41 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $70,800 | $34.03 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $69,400 | $33.38 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $67,400 | $32.39 | +1.7% |
Recently added aircraft engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin | F-16 Aircraft Modification and Retrofit Engineer-Sustainment Lead | Fort Worth, TX | 06/26/2025 | $93,800 |
| Air Combat Effectiveness Consulting Group | Mid Level/Journeyman Aircraft Survivability Engineer (Encm25039) | Lexington Park, MD | 06/20/2025 | $119,735 |
| Astronics Corporation | Engineer I, Aircraft Certification | Chicago, IL | 06/17/2025 | $61,474 |
| Global Channel Management | Aircraft Interiors Engineer | Tulsa, OK | 06/10/2025 | $127,307 |
| Air Combat Effectiveness Consulting Group | Mid Level/Journeyman Aircraft Survivability Engineer (Encm25039) | Lexington Park, MD | 05/17/2025 | $119,735 |
| Global Channel Management | Aircraft Interiors Engineer | Tulsa, OK | 04/28/2025 | $127,307 |
| Global Channel Management | Aircraft Interiors Engineer | Tulsa, OK | 03/29/2025 | $127,307 |
| Airportplacements | Licenced Aircraft Engineer-AOG | Essex, MD | 02/19/2025 | $89,400 |
| Exokeryx | Project Aircraft Engineer | Indianapolis, IN | 02/19/2025 | $89,860 |
| Global Channel Management | Aircraft Interiors Engineer | Tulsa, OK | 02/18/2025 | $127,307 |
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