Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

17-2011 Aerospace Engineers

Perform engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. May conduct basic and applied research to evaluate adaptability of materials and equipment to aircraft design and manufacture. May recommend improvements in testing equipment and techniques.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
79,400 5.9 % $49.94 $103,870 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $31.40 $39.04 $49.24 $60.22 $71.06
Annual Wage (2) $65,310 $81,190 $102,420 $125,260 $147,810


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 28,340 5.99 $46.51 $96,740
Scientific Research and Development Services 11,800 1.87 $52.76 $109,740
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 11,610 0.90 $51.32 $106,750
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 9,320 0.45 $53.40 $111,080
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 5,740 1.41 $51.03 $106,140

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 28,340 5.99 $46.51 $96,740
Scientific Research and Development Services 11,800 1.87 $52.76 $109,740
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 5,740 1.41 $51.03 $106,140
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 11,610 0.90 $51.32 $106,750
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 9,320 0.45 $53.40 $111,080

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 2,620 0.25 $55.66 $115,780
Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 120 0.02 $55.43 $115,290
Employment Services 920 0.03 $55.19 $114,790
Communications Equipment Manufacturing (8) (8) $54.08 $112,490
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 9,320 0.45 $53.40 $111,080


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 19,990 1.42 2.30 $53.54 $111,370
Texas 8,370 0.81 1.31 $49.36 $102,660
Washington 7,770 2.85 4.61 $48.73 $101,360
Florida 4,300 0.60 0.97 $43.66 $90,810
Virginia 4,040 1.14 1.84 $59.61 $123,980




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 7,770 2.85 4.61 $48.73 $101,360
Kansas 3,100 2.37 3.83 $44.20 $91,940
Alabama 3,020 1.67 2.70 $55.84 $116,150
Connecticut 2,660 1.65 2.67 $41.39 $86,090
California 19,990 1.42 2.30 $53.54 $111,370




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Virginia 4,040 1.14 1.84 $59.61 $123,980
District of Columbia 370 0.58 0.93 $57.28 $119,140
Alabama 3,020 1.67 2.70 $55.84 $116,150
Idaho (8) (8) (8) $55.72 $115,900
Maryland 3,310 1.33 2.15 $55.11 $114,620





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 9,320 2.44 3.94 $55.45 $115,330
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 7,320 5.35 8.64 $48.67 $101,220
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,300 1.86 3.01 $61.21 $127,320
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,890 1.13 1.83 $54.38 $113,120
Wichita, KS 2,860 10.21 16.50 $44.30 $92,140
Huntsville, AL 2,780 13.79 22.28 $56.46 $117,430
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 2,720 1.33 2.15 $49.57 $103,100
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2,240 2.56 4.14 $58.82 $122,340
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 2,120 1.77 2.86 $49.58 $103,120
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 2,010 3.66 5.91 $41.28 $85,860




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Huntsville, AL 2,780 13.79 22.28 $56.46 $117,430
Wichita, KS 2,860 10.21 16.50 $44.30 $92,140
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 1,190 6.25 10.10 $48.60 $101,090
Las Cruces, NM 360 5.40 8.72 $41.90 $87,160
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 7,320 5.35 8.64 $48.67 $101,220
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 2,010 3.66 5.91 $41.28 $85,860
Dayton, OH 1,090 3.01 4.86 $53.54 $111,360
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 190 2.61 4.21 $38.65 $80,400
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2,240 2.56 4.14 $58.82 $122,340
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 9,320 2.44 3.94 $55.45 $115,330




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 260 0.47 0.76 $71.22 $148,140
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 90 0.20 0.32 $63.42 $131,900
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,300 1.86 3.01 $61.21 $127,320
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2,240 2.56 4.14 $58.82 $122,340
Colorado Springs, CO (8) (8) (8) $57.87 $120,370
Fresno, CA (8) (8) (8) $57.58 $119,770
Huntsville, AL 2,780 13.79 22.28 $56.46 $117,430
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 9,320 2.44 3.94 $55.45 $115,330
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $54.98 $114,350
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $54.76 $113,900

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 890 20.94 33.83 $50.90 $105,870
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 180 3.74 6.04 $49.39 $102,730
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 0.33 0.54 $40.98 $85,240
Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 0.67 $46.36 $96,430

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 890 20.94 33.83 $50.90 $105,870
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 180 3.74 6.04 $49.39 $102,730
Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 0.67 $46.36 $96,430
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 0.33 0.54 $40.98 $85,240

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 890 20.94 33.83 $50.90 $105,870
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 180 3.74 6.04 $49.39 $102,730
Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 0.67 $46.36 $96,430
Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $44.57 $92,700
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 0.33 0.54 $40.98 $85,240


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012