The United States employs 68970 aerospace engineers. Their median annual wage stands at 130720 dollars. Data on workforce demographics, education levels, state concentrations, and growth projections appear in the sections that follow.
Key Takeaways
- Females projected to reach 25% of workforce by 2030.
- 95% of aerospace engineers hold at least a bachelor's degree as of 2023.
- In May 2023, the US employed 68,970 aerospace engineers, representing a 1.2% increase from 2022 estimates.
- Employment projected to grow 6% from 2023-2033, adding 4,000 jobs.
- The median annual wage for aerospace engineers in the US was $130,720 as of May 2023.
Aerospace engineering job statistics show steady demand for skilled professionals, with growth driven by technology and defense.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics And Workforce23 stats
01
Females projected to reach 25% of workforce by 2030.
02
Median age of US aerospace engineers was 43.2 years in 2023.
03
81% male, 19% female composition in 2023 BLS data.
04
White engineers: 72%, Asian: 15%, Hispanic: 8% in 2023.
05
Veterans comprised 12% of aerospace engineering workforce 2023.
06
Under 25: 5%, 25-34: 28%, 35-44: 30% age bands 2023.
07
Union membership: 4.2% among aerospace engineers in 2023.
08
Full-time workers: 96%, part-time: 4% in 2023.
09
Self-employed: 2.1% of total aerospace engineers 2023.
10
Immigrants: 22% of workforce, mostly from India/China 2023.
11
Disability rate: 3.5% among engineers vs 6% national 2023.
12
Rural vs urban: 85% urban/suburban concentration 2023.
13
LGBTQ+ representation estimated at 7% in 2023 surveys.
14
Gen Z entering: 12% of workforce by end-2023.
15
Baby Boomers: 15% still active in 2023.
16
Work experience: 55% have 10+ years in field 2023.
17
Dual-income households: 68% of married engineers 2023.
18
Parental leave usage: 45% for fathers in aerospace firms 2023.
19
Geographic mobility: 28% relocated for jobs in past 5 years 2023.
20
Satisfaction highest among 35-44 age group at 78% 2023.
21
Black/African American: 4.2% representation in 2023.
22
Native American: 0.8%, Pacific Islander: 0.4% in 2023.
23
Multi-racial: 3.5% of aerospace engineers 2023.
Interpretation
Demographics And Workforce Interpretation
By 2030, women are projected to make up 25% of the aerospace engineering workforce, while the 2023 workforce is still 81% male and has a median age of 43.2, signaling a slow demographic shift and an aging talent pool that will shape future workforce planning.
02 · Category
Education And Training23 stats
01
95% of aerospace engineers hold at least a bachelor's degree as of 2023.
02
28% possess a master's degree in aerospace or related fields in 2023.
03
12% have PhDs, concentrated in research roles per 2023 data.
04
Top programs: MIT awarded 250 aerospace bachelor's in 2023.
05
Georgia Tech graduated 180 BS aerospace engineers in 2023.
06
Purdue University produced 220 aerospace engineering degrees in 2023.
07
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University conferred 450 aerospace degrees in 2023.
08
65% of hires had ABET-accredited degrees in 2023 industry surveys.
09
Average GPA for new hires was 3.6/4.0 in 2023 recruiting data.
10
Internships completed by 72% of entry-level engineers in 2023.
11
Co-op programs boosted employability by 40% per 2023 studies.
12
PE licensure held by 18% of practicing aerospace engineers in 2023.
13
Continuing education: 85% completed 20+ PDH annually in 2023.
14
Online MS programs enrolled 15,000 aerospace students in 2023.
15
Women comprised 19% of aerospace engineering undergrads in 2023.
16
International students: 25% of grad programs in US 2023.
17
Cost of bachelor's: $150,000average total in 2023.
18
Scholarships awarded: $50M to aerospace students in 2023 AIAA.
19
Certification: 5,200 held FAA DER credentials in 2023.
20
Six Sigma Green Belt held by 22% of mid-level engineers 2023.
21
CAD proficiency (CATIA/SolidWorks) in 92% of new grads 2023.
22
Programming skills (MATLAB/Python) required for 88% jobs 2023.
23
Systems engineering certs grew 30% enrollment in 2023.
Interpretation
Education And Training Interpretation
Education remains the key pipeline for aerospace engineering, with 95% of professionals holding at least a bachelor’s degree and 28% earning master’s degrees, while only 12% have PhDs that largely align with research-focused roles.
03 · Category
Employment Numbers30 stats
01
In May 2023, the US employed 68,970 aerospace engineers, representing a 1.2% increase from 2022 estimates.
02
California hosted 12,450 aerospace engineering jobs in 2023, accounting for 18% of the national total.
03
Texas ranked second with 7,890 aerospace engineers employed as of May 2023.
04
Washington state had 6,230 aerospace engineering positions in 2023, driven by Boeing's presence.
05
Florida employed 4,120 aerospace engineers in May 2023, boosted by space industry growth.
06
Globally, over 200,000 aerospace engineers were active in 2022 per AIAA estimates.
07
The US aerospace sector employed 2.1 million workers total in 2023, with engineers at 3.3% of that.
08
NASA's workforce included 2,500 aerospace engineers in FY2023 across its centers.
09
Boeing employed approximately 15,000 aerospace engineers worldwide in 2023.
10
Lockheed Martin had 12,400 engineers in aerospace divisions as of 2023 annual report.
11
In the EU, 45,000 aerospace engineers were employed in 2022 per ASD reports.
12
India's aerospace engineering workforce reached 18,000 in 2023, up 15% YoY.
13
China's aviation industry employed 120,000 engineers in 2023 per CAAC data.
14
UK aerospace sector had 112,000 total jobs, with 25,000 engineers in 2023.
15
Canada reported 8,500 aerospace engineers in 2023 NAICS data.
16
Alabama's aerospace jobs for engineers hit 3,200 in 2023 due to Huntsville hub.
17
Ohio employed 2,900 aerospace engineers in May 2023.
18
Colorado had 2,450 aerospace engineering roles in 2023.
19
Maryland's count stood at 2,100 aerospace engineers in 2023.
20
Virginia employed 1,980 in the field per 2023 BLS.
21
Aerospace engineers comprised 0.4% of all US engineering jobs totaling 1.7 million in 2023.
22
Defense sector accounted for 42% of US aerospace engineer jobs in 2023.
23
Commercial aircraft manufacturing employed 25% of aerospace engineers in US 2023.
24
Spacecraft/satellite firms hired 18% of the workforce in 2023.
25
R&D services sector had 12% share of aerospace engineers in 2023.
26
Entry-level aerospace jobs numbered 4,500 openings in US 2023.
27
Mid-career positions totaled 28,000 active listings in 2023.
28
Senior roles accounted for 9,000 jobs posted in 2023.
29
Remote aerospace engineering jobs reached 1,200 in 2023 postings.
30
Contract/temporary aerospace roles surged to 15% of total postings in 2023.
Interpretation
Employment Numbers Interpretation
Employment for aerospace engineers is concentrated and growing steadily in key US states, with 68,970 engineers employed in the US in May 2023 and California alone creating 12,450 jobs, about 18% of the national total.
More related reading
04 · Category
Job Outlook And Projections20 stats
01
Employment projected to grow 6% from 2023-2033, adding 4,000 jobs.
02
Annual openings average 4,200 due to replacements 2023-33.
03
Space sector growth at 12% projected through 2030 per FAA.
04
UAV/drone engineering jobs to surge 25% by 2028.
05
Sustainable aviation demand to create 10,000 new roles by 2030.
06
Hypersonics field projected 15% CAGR job growth 2023-28.
07
Electric propulsion engineers needed: 2,500 openings by 2027.
08
Commercial spaceflight to double workforce by 2030 per BryceTech.
09
Retirement wave: 20% of current engineers retire by 2030.
10
AI/ML integration to add 3,000 specialized roles by 2028.
11
Supply chain recovery to boost 8% hiring in 2024-25.
12
Defense budget hikes project 5,000 DoD contractor jobs 2024-28.
13
Urban air mobility (eVTOL) to generate 4,000 jobs by 2030.
14
Global demand: 42,000 new pilots but 15,000 engineers linked 2023-42.
15
Cybersecurity aerospace roles up 18% projected 2023-27.
16
Additive manufacturing specialists: 1,800 openings annually projected.
17
Entry-level hiring to rise 10% post-2024 recession recovery.
18
Mid-level promotions to fill 12,000 gaps by 2028.
19
International mobility: 5,000 US jobs filled by H1B visas yearly projected.
20
Turnover rate expected at 9% annually through 2030.
Interpretation
Job Outlook And Projections Interpretation
Aerospace engineering job prospects look steadily positive, with employment projected to rise 6% from 2023 to 2033 and add about 4,000 jobs, while faster growth areas like UAV and drones at 25% by 2028 and hypersonics at 15% CAGR through 2023 to 2028 further strengthen the job outlook behind those replacement-driven annual openings averaging 4,200.
05 · Category
Salary And Benefits27 stats
01
The median annual wage for aerospace engineers in the US was $130,720as of May 2023.
02
Aerospace engineers in California earned a mean hourly wage of $66.43in 2023.
03
Washington state offered $64.85mean hourly for aerospace engineers in 2023.
04
Texas aerospace engineers averaged $58.72per hour in May 2023.
05
Florida's mean annual salary for aerospace engineers was $121,060in 2023.
06
Top 10% of US aerospace engineers earned over $176,470 annually in 2023.
07
Bottom 10% earned less than $79,020 per year in 2023 BLS data.
08
Entry-level aerospace engineers (0-1 year exp) averaged $85,000base salary in 2023.
09
Mid-career (5-9 years) salaries hit $120,500mean in 2023 surveys.
10
Senior aerospace engineers (10+ years) commanded $155,000average in 2023.
11
Bonuses for aerospace engineers averaged 8.2% of base pay in 2023.
12
Total compensation including benefits reached $162,000median for 2023.
13
Stock options added $25,000average value for Big Tech aerospace roles in 2023.
14
Health benefits coverage was 92% for full-time aerospace engineers in 2023.
15
401(k) matching averaged 4.5% of salary in aerospace firms 2023.
16
Paid time off averaged 22 days per year for aerospace engineers in 2023.
17
Overtime pay was 1.5 times rate, with 12% receiving in 2023.
18
Seattle metro area paid $137,500median for aerospace engineers 2023.
19
LA-Long Beach area averaged $135,200annual salary in 2023.
20
Huntsville, AL offered $128,900median due to NASA/DoD in 2023.
21
DC metro salaries reached $142,300mean for aerospace engineers 2023.
22
Women aerospace engineers earned 92% of male counterparts' median in 2023.
23
PhD holders earned 25% premium over bachelor's in 2023 salaries.
24
Defense contractors paid 15% above commercial sector average in 2023.
25
SpaceX engineers averaged $145,000base plus equity in 2023 postings.
26
Boeing salaries for aerospace engineers averaged $118,000in 2023.
27
87% of aerospace engineers reported job satisfaction tied to compensation in 2023 survey.
Interpretation
Salary And Benefits Interpretation
Aerospace engineers in the US earned a median of $130,720 per year in May 2023, while the top 10% made over $176,470 in 2023, showing strong salary upside under the Salary And Benefits category.
report visual · Key figures
Workforce outlook for aerospace engineering
Projected growth points to strong demand across aerospace engineering specialties through 2030.
6%
Employment projected to grow 6% from 2023-2033, adding 4,000 jobs.
12%
Space sector growth at 12% projected through 2030 per FAA.
25%
UAV/drone engineering jobs to surge 25% by 2028.
10,000
Sustainable aviation demand to create 10,000 new roles by 2030.
20%
Retirement wave: 20% of current engineers retire by 2030.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Aerospace Engineering Job Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aerospace-engineering-job-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Aerospace Engineering Job Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/aerospace-engineering-job-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Aerospace Engineering Job Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aerospace-engineering-job-statistics.
Sources & references
55 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level