Architecture & Engineering
Aerospace Engineers
SOC 17-2011
Design aircraft, spacecraft, and the systems that keep them flying.
The job
Median pay
$135k
$106k to $170k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+8.3% projected
Openings a year
4k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
4/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
65th pct
More exposed than 65% of occupations · modeled estimate · 68th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
63/100
Key skills
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Science
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 9,170 | 0.5 | 1.2× | $158k |
| Texas | 6,750 | 0.5 | 1.1× | $130k |
| Alabama | 5,820 | 2.8 | 6.3× | $128k |
| Washington | 5,760 | 1.6 | 3.7× | $158k |
| Colorado | 4,070 | 1.4 | 3.3× | $156k |
| Ohio | 3,710 | 0.7 | 1.5× | $138k |
| New Jersey | 3,400 | 0.8 | 1.8× | $126k |
| Michigan | 3,367 | 0.8 | 1.8× | $129k~ |
| Florida | 3,250 | 0.3 | 0.8× | $129k |
| Maryland | 3,180 | 1.2 | 2.6× | $157k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 3,110 | 1.0 | 2.2× | $123k |
| Virginia | 2,540 | 0.6 | 1.4× | $143k |
| Georgia | 2,230 | 0.5 | 1.1× | $140k |
| Kansas | 1,730 | 1.2 | 2.8× | $130k |
| Connecticut | 1,160 | 0.7 | 1.6× | $130k |
| Oklahoma | 1,090 | 0.6 | 1.5× | $125k |
| Utah | 1,010 | 0.6 | 1.3× | $136k |
| Massachusetts | 990 | 0.3 | 0.6× | $149k |
| Pennsylvania | 990 | 0.2 | 0.4× | $134k |
| Missouri | 650 | 0.2 | 0.5× | $131k |
| North Carolina | 650 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $123k |
| South Carolina | 650 | 0.3 | 0.7× | $137k |
| Tennessee | 610 | 0.2 | 0.4× | $129k |
| New Mexico | 570 | 0.7 | 1.5× | $133k |
| New York | 560 | 0.1 | 0.1× | $130k |
| Indiana | 440 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $107k |
| Washington DC | 290 | 0.4 | 0.9× | $158k |
| Kentucky | 290 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $126k |
| Maine | 274 | 0.4 | 1.0× | $128k~ |
| Nevada | 270 | 0.2 | 0.4× | $97k |
| Oregon | 250 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $125k |
| West Virginia | 248 | 0.4 | 0.8× | $115k~ |
| Rhode Island | 239 | 0.5 | 1.1× | $143k~ |
| Montana | 212 | 0.4 | 0.9× | $110k~ |
| Illinois | 200 | 0.0 | 0.1× | $109k |
| Idaho | 190 | 0.2 | 0.5× | $96k |
| Arkansas | 180 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $102k |
| South Dakota | 170 | 0.4 | 0.8× | $111k~ |
| North Dakota | 156 | 0.4 | 0.8× | $116k~ |
| Delaware | 144 | 0.3 | 0.7× | $136k~ |
| Minnesota | 140 | 0.0 | 0.1× | $159k |
| Nebraska | 130 | 0.1 | 0.3× | $136k |
| Wyoming | 121 | 0.4 | 1.0× | $130k~ |
| Wisconsin | 120 | 0.0 | 0.1× | $88k |
| Alaska | 100 | 0.3 | 0.7× | $102k |
| Vermont | 100 | 0.3 | 0.8× | $144k |
| Louisiana | 90 | 0.0 | 0.1× | $137k |
| Mississippi | 90 | 0.1 | 0.2× | $109k |
| Hawaii | 40 | 0.1 | 0.1× | $137k |
| Iowa | 40 | 0.0 | 0.1× | $113k~ |
| New Hampshire | 40 | 0.1 | 0.1× | $131k~ |
Top metro areas
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA5,480 jobs · $164k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA5,200 jobs · $163k median
- Huntsville, AL4,880 jobs · $131k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX3,430 jobs · $135k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV2,420 jobs · $166k median
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO2,010 jobs · $156k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX1,890 jobs · $134k median
- Tucson, AZ1,720 jobs · $107k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Aerospace Engineers interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.