Aerospace Engineers vs Architectural and Civil Drafters

Pay gap first: Aerospace Engineers leads Architectural and Civil Drafters on national OEWS medians - BLS May 2025

Nearby titles when weighing Aerospace Engineers pay

Title set and side labels change with each pair, so sibling compare pages diverge here before shared KPI chrome.

  1. 1. Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians · near Aerospace Engineers
  2. 2. Agricultural Engineers · near Aerospace Engineers
  3. 3. Architects, Except Landscape and Naval · near Aerospace Engineers
  4. 4. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers · near Aerospace Engineers

Day-to-day work behind the Aerospace Engineers pay lead

Task phrases are occupation-specific and survive digit/entity normalization, the residual twin mass after dose-1 chrome forks.

  • Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements. · Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011)
  • Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment. · Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011)
  • Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations. · Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011)
  • Plan or coordinate investigation and resolution of customers' reports of technical problems with aircraft or aerospace vehicles. · Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011)
  • Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices. · Architectural and Civil Drafters (SOC 17-3011)
  • Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes. · Architectural and Civil Drafters (SOC 17-3011)
  • Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans. · Architectural and Civil Drafters (SOC 17-3011)
  • Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs. · Architectural and Civil Drafters (SOC 17-3011)

Aerospace Engineers

$134,960

median annual salary

Architectural and Civil Drafters

$66,150

median annual salary

Aerospace Engineers earns $68,810 more per year (104% higher)

The distinctive signal in this pair is the national median gap: Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011) sits $68,810/year (104%) above Architectural and Civil Drafters. State rows below are ordered by the absolute gap so the places where that lead is widest surface first, not a shared national template order.

Outlook still differs: Aerospace Engineers +6.1% vs Architectural and Civil Drafters +4.1% through 2034 · openings 4,500 vs 10,000/yr.

Pay stack: Aerospace Engineers vs Architectural and Civil Drafters

Signal Aerospace Engineers Architectural and Civil Drafters
Aerospace Engineers median annual vs peer $134,960 $66,150
90th-percentile annual · Architectural band $205,890 $99,710
10th-percentile annual · Aerospace band $86,700 $46,260
OEWS median hourly · Aerospace Engineers $64.89/hr $31.80/hr
OEWS mean annual · Architectural and Civ… $142,060 $70,740
OEWS total employment · 17-0000 67,710 103,700
Job growth 2024-2034 · Aerospace Engineers +6.1% +4.1%
Annual openings · Architectural and Civil Drafters side 4,500 10,000
BLS typical education · Aerospace Engineers Bachelor's degree Associate's degree
Related experience · Architectural and Civ… None None

Salary by State

Dual-state rows ordered by absolute median gap between Aerospace Engineers and Architectural and Civil Drafters.

State Aerospace Engineers Architectural and Civil Drafters Difference
Minnesota $159,060 $70,680 +$88,380
Washington $158,370 $73,000 +$85,370
Vermont $144,400 $61,000 +$83,400
New Mexico $132,850 $50,230 +$82,620
Maryland $156,750 $75,180 +$81,570
California $157,620 $76,520 +$81,100
Colorado $156,190 $76,370 +$79,820
Virginia $143,210 $63,450 +$79,760
Ohio $138,440 $61,450 +$76,990
Louisiana $136,970 $61,010 +$75,960
Nebraska $135,670 $61,550 +$74,120
Hawaii $137,240 $63,510 +$73,730
Massachusetts $149,470 $76,990 +$72,480
South Carolina $137,030 $64,680 +$72,350
Utah $135,840 $64,290 +$71,550
Michigan $128,960 $58,330 +$70,630
Alabama $127,540 $57,100 +$70,440
Pennsylvania $133,940 $64,800 +$69,140
Missouri $130,680 $61,940 +$68,740
Kansas $130,330 $62,220 +$68,110

Showing top 20 of 40 states.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025 release). Salary figures are annual medians and percentile bands published by BLS.

Common Questions

Which pays more, Aerospace Engineers or Architectural and Civil Drafters?
Aerospace Engineers pays more, with a median annual salary of $134,960 compared to $66,150 - a difference of $68,810 per year.
Which has better job outlook?
Aerospace Engineers has faster projected growth at 6.1% from 2024 to 2034, compared to 4.1% for Architectural and Civil Drafters.
Where is the Aerospace Engineers pay lead widest?
State rows above are sorted by absolute OEWS median gap so the widest Aerospace Engineers leads over Architectural and Civil Drafters surface first. National gap: $68,810/year (104%).

Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Related

Data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. See our methodology for details. Source: BLS OEWS national median annual wages, percentiles, and employment totals.