Aerospace and defense salaries: what aerospace and defense jobs advertise
Aerospace and defense postings that state pay run $113,500 to $172,500 for the middle half, median $138,500, from 2,422 paid postings from 92 employers. With function, level and industry matched, pay is −7.9% (about $14k a year) against other industries.
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By Justin KullaLast updated
Aerospace and defense pay range
From 2,422 paid postings from 92 employers. Annual, in US dollars.
- Lower quarter
- $113,500
- Median
- $138,500
- Upper quarter
- $172,500
The median for all professional postings is $140,000, so Aerospace and defense is below it. With function, level and industry matched, Aerospace and defense pay is −7.9% (about $14k a year) against other industries.
Aerospace and defense pay by level
Levels with at least 30 paid postings from 8 employers.
| Group | Median | Middle half | Gap | Postings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $95,000 | $83,000 to $108,000 | n/a | 134 | 40 |
| Early career | $113,500 | $100,000 to $135,000 | n/a | 605 | 66 |
| Mid-level | $141,000 | $122,000 to $162,500 | n/a | 557 | 61 |
| Senior individual contributor | $150,000 | $127,500 to $182,500 | n/a | 755 | 67 |
| Manager | $164,000 | $137,000 to $193,500 | n/a | 250 | 49 |
| Director | $222,000 | $190,000 to $246,000 | n/a | 108 | 37 |
Compare with other industries
The groups ranked just above and below by median.
Questions about this data
- How much do Aerospace and defense jobs pay?
- $113,500 to $172,500 for the middle half, median $138,500, from 2,422 paid postings from 92 employers that state pay. That is below the $140,000 median for all professional postings. It is advertised pay, not what people are paid.
- Is Aerospace and defense pay higher or lower once the job mix is matched?
- With function, level and industry matched, advertised pay is −7.9% (about $14k a year) against other industries.
- How does Aerospace and defense pay change with level?
- Entry level: $95,000; Early career: $113,500; Mid-level: $141,000; Senior individual contributor: $150,000; Manager: $164,000; Director: $222,000.
Method, download and how to cite
Data as of November 3, 2026. Rebuilt daily.
Pay is the midpoint of the range an employer posted (or stated in the posting text), converted to a year, on live U.S. professional jobs. It is advertised pay, not what anyone is paid.
A “gap, job mix matched” compares postings inside cells of the same function, level and industry, so a group is not credited for simply holding more senior or better-paid roles. It needs 150 or more postings across at least 5 cells with 15 postings on each side, and is shown as n/a otherwise. A gap is a difference in advertised pay between postings. It does not show that a skill, an industry or an employer size causes higher pay.
Download the CSV (aggregates only; no posting, employer or person is in it). Cite as: NextChapter, “Advertised pay in Aerospace and defense (industry) on U.S. professional job postings”, data as of November 3, 2026, https://launchyournextchapter.com/resources/pay-data/industry/aerospace-defense
See also the AI skills salary premium, which uses the same method for AI skills only, and the salary by job title pages.
More pay data
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