Defense and aerospace jobs: who is hiring and what it pays
Prime contractors, new defense technology companies and the cleared roles that support them. 30,328 open jobs at 1,021 employers, with a median stated pay of $163k. Every job on this page is in the United States, taken from the employer’s own career site or job system and checked to still be open.
Question 1
Where are you right now?
Why we ask: a laid-off week and a thinking-about-a-move week look nothing alike. No résumé, no account.
30,328
open defense and aerospace jobs
1,021
employers hiring
$163k
median stated pay (5,576 jobs)
November 2026
first month tracked
All defense and aerospace lists
Employers with the most open defense and aerospace jobs
SpaceX, Northrop Grumman and RTX lead the defense and aerospace employers on our board. The ten with the most openings post 38% of the 30,328 open defense and aerospace jobs.
| # | Employer | Open jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SpaceXTX · Median pay $183k | 1,934 open |
| 2 | Northrop GrummanCA · Median pay $140k | 1,464 open |
| 3 | RTXAZ · Median pay $156k | 1,456 open |
| 4 | Anduril IndustriesCA · Median pay $172k | 1,248 open |
| 5 | CACI InternationalVA · Median pay $134k | 1,240 open |
| 6 | BAE SystemsNH | 1,210 open |
| 7 | L3HARRIS TechnologiesFL · Median pay $120k | 1,054 open |
| 8 | Lockheed MartinCO · Median pay $113k | 805 open |
| 9 | ParsonsMD · Median pay $142k | 623 open |
| 10 | Blue OriginWA · Median pay $147k | 597 open |
Highest-paying defense and aerospace roles
Among defense and aerospace jobs that state yearly pay, Producers and Directors, Robotics Engineers and Architectural and Engineering Managers pay the most at the median, against $163k for the segment as a whole.
| # | Role | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Producers and Directors23 open · With pay 14 | $271k |
| 2 | Robotics Engineers71 open · With pay 30 | $223k |
| 3 | Architectural and Engineering Managers491 open · With pay 118 | $219k |
| 4 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers16 open · With pay 16 | $215k |
| 5 | Computer and Information Systems Managers306 open · With pay 33 | $208k |
| 6 | Lawyers79 open · With pay 20 | $198k |
| 7 | Web Developers59 open · With pay 13 | $195k |
| 8 | Information Technology Project Managers365 open · With pay 126 | $193k |
Skills employers ask for
python, agile and supply chain are the skills most often named in defense and aerospace job postings, read from each posting's own text.
Where the defense and aerospace jobs are
CA, VA and TX have the most open defense and aerospace jobs.
| # | State | Open jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CaliforniaMedian pay $172k | 5,794 open |
| 2 | VirginiaMedian pay $150k | 4,210 open |
| 3 | TexasMedian pay $143k | 2,452 open |
| 4 | MarylandMedian pay $150k | 2,133 open |
| 5 | ColoradoMedian pay $149k | 1,949 open |
| 6 | FloridaMedian pay $126k | 1,578 open |
| 7 | WashingtonMedian pay $185k | 1,144 open |
| 8 | MassachusettsMedian pay $170k | 1,097 open |
New defense and aerospace jobs this week
25 defense and aerospace jobs were posted in the last seven days.
- Legal Counsel
Apex Space · Los Angeles, CA
$145k–$185k · Nov 3
- Systems Engineer (E2) | Grand Prairie. TX | 15282
Sikorsky Aircraft · Grand Prairie, TX
Nov 3
- Software Engineer - Level 2 (Top Secret)
Sikorsky Aircraft · King Of Prussia, PA
Nov 3
- Software Engineer Sr - Level 3 (TopSecret)
Sikorsky Aircraft · King Of Prussia, PA
Nov 3
- Software Engineer Sr - E3
Sikorsky Aircraft · Orlando, FL
Nov 2
- Entry-Level Test Engineer - Missile/Sensor Systems
Sikorsky Aircraft · Orlando, FL
Nov 2
- Senior Electrical Test Engineer
Sikorsky Aircraft · Orlando, FL
Nov 2
- Information Systems Security Officer, Classified Cybersecurity - Clearance Required
Sikorsky Aircraft · Colorado Springs, CO
Nov 2
Laid off in defense and aerospace? Start here
- A plan for the weeks after a layoff
- Unemployment benefits and how to file, by state
- Severance calculator
- Layoff tracker: who is cutting and where
Then look at the employers above that are hiring now.
More industries
- US manufacturing34,328
- Financial services28,982
- Healthcare26,927
- Education14,346
- Nonprofits13,697
- Biotech and pharma12,574
- AI8,364
- Construction7,544
- Transportation and logistics5,669
- Space5,418
- Automotive and EV4,186
- Semiconductors3,683
- Retail3,289
- Robotics and automation3,148
- Consumer packaged goods2,663
- Data centers2,554
- Utilities and power2,405
- Clean energy and nuclear2,303
- Telecom1,689
- Real estate1,655
- Tourism and hospitality1,437
- Oil and gas1,102
- Steel, aluminum and metals1,022
- Restaurants953
- TV and streaming941
- Mining and natural resources884
- Airlines and aviation811
- Music663
- Shipbuilding and maritime474
- Casino and gaming441
- Sports235
- Movies and film63
How these lists are made
- Every job on this page is in the United States, taken from the employer’s own career site or job system and checked to still be open.
- A job is counted in defense and aerospace when its employer is on our list of defense and aerospace employers, or its title names defense and aerospace work. A job can sit in more than one segment.
- Pay figures use only jobs that state a yearly salary range in dollars; the figure is the middle of the range, and the median is across jobs. A pay list is shown only when enough jobs state pay.
- The same employer under different spellings is counted once. A city where one employer posts half the openings is not ranked.
- Lists are rebuilt weekly from our job board and kept by month. Professional and management roles; hourly roles are not on our board.
Built November 3, 2026.
Hire in defense and aerospace or run an association for it?
Leave your work email. We'll send how to reach experienced defense and aerospace professionals on NextChapter.
Do you want this for your own search?
A free account turns this page into your plan: a plain-language read on defense and aerospace, jobs matched to you and a weekly action plan.
Yes, start free