Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 17-2011

Aerospace Engineers

O*NET task statements lead this Aerospace Engineers card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Nuclear Engineers, Materials Engineers, Chemical Engineers, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Aerospace Engineers: Nuclear Engineers ($134K) , Materials Engineers ($113K) , Chemical Engineers ($125K) , Electronics Engineers, Except Computer ($130K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Aerospace Engineers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-2011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer enginee…
  2. 2. Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equ…
  3. 3. Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental re…
  4. 4. Plan or coordinate investigation and resolution of customers' reports of technical problems with aircraft or aerospace vehicles
  5. 5. Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers
  6. 6. Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircra…
  7. 7. Diagnose performance problems by reviewing reports or documentation from customers or field engineers or by inspecting malfunctioning or…
  8. 8. Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environment…
  9. 9. Direct aerospace research and development programs
  10. 10. Develop design criteria for aeronautical or aerospace products or systems, including testing methods, production costs, quality standards…
  11. 11. Analyze project requests, proposals, or engineering data to determine feasibility, productibility, cost, or production time of aerospace…
  12. 12. Maintain records of performance reports for future reference

Aerospace Engineers: O*NET ranks Critical Thinking first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-2011 - lead skill Critical Thinking at 4.1 ; lead knowledge Engineering and Technology. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Critical Thinking 4.1
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  3. 3. Science 4.0
  4. 4. Active Listening 3.9
  5. 5. Writing 3.9
  6. 6. Speaking 3.9
  7. 7. Mathematics 3.9
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Engineering and Technology 4.8
  2. 2. Mathematics 4.3
  3. 3. Design 4.1
  4. 4. Physics 4.0
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 3.9
  6. 6. English Language 3.8
National median after O*NET task lead
$134,960
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer enginee…
$135K
National median
↑ +6%
Growth 2024-2034
4,500
Annual openings
67,710
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $134K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Aerospace Engineers

1. Colorado $156,190
2. Vermont $144,400
3. California $157,620
4. Washington $158,370
5. Minnesota $159,060
6. Virginia $143,210
7. Massachusetts $149,470
8. Maryland $156,750
9. Georgia $140,460
10. District of Columbia $157,600

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Chemical Engineers $125,040
  2. 2. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $130,220
  3. 3. Electrical Engineers $120,630
  4. 4. Engineers, All Other $122,930
  5. 5. Materials Engineers $112,860
  6. 6. Nuclear Engineers $133,970

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011). The national OEWS median is $134,960 inside Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Nuclear Engineers, Materials Engineers, Chemical Engineers, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer. Lead published task: Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer enginee….

Employment Projections expect +6% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Colorado at $156,190. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Engineers at $133,970. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Aerospace Engineers pay-rank #3 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Among 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations with a published OEWS median, Aerospace Engineers is pay-rank #3, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 17-2011 · national median $134,960 · upper third of Architecture and Engineering Occupations (#3/36). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Aerospace Engineers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-2011

Colorado · top state for Aerospace Engineers

$156K published median

Vermont · #2 state pay

$144K · behind Colorado

Nuclear Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Aerospace Engineers · $134K

Materials Engineers

Lower-pay peer beside Aerospace Engineers · $113K

Compare Aerospace Engineers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Aerospace Engineers with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Aerospace Engineers full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles sit near Aerospace Engineers at the top of the pay table? ▼
Aerospace Engineers is pay-rank #3 of 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Nuclear Engineers ($134K), Electronics Engineers, Except Computer ($130K), Chemical Engineers ($125K), Petroleum Engineers ($145K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do aerospace engineers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Aerospace Engineers. Leading ones include: Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer enginee…; Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equ…; Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental re…; Plan or coordinate investigation and resolution of customers' reports of technical problems with aircraft or aerospace vehicles. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for aerospace engineers? ▼
For SOC 17-2011, O*NET importance scores lead with Critical Thinking (4.1), Reading Comprehension (4.0), Science (4.0), Active Listening (3.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Design. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Aerospace Engineers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $134,960 as the national median for Aerospace Engineers. The published 10th-90th range is $86,700 to $205,890. Beside Nuclear Engineers ($133,970), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Aerospace Engineers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Aerospace Engineers is +6%. Projected annual openings: about 4,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Aerospace Engineers? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Aerospace Engineers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Aerospace Engineers? ▼
Colorado ($156,190), Vermont ($144,400), California ($157,620) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Aerospace Engineers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-2011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Aerospace Engineers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics