Aerospace Engineering graduates earn $98,207 four years out. Related careers are growing at up to 11.9%, one of the stronger demand signals across all fields. Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians is among the highest-growth roles in the field.
This page covers Aerospace Engineering as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Engineering and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Aerospace Engineering is a focused area of study within Engineering. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $98,207 four years out, a strong return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 95 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 9,220 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Coursework leans technical and quantitative, with lab or project work common.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$72,408
Median Earnings · 4yr
$98,207
Colleges Offering
95
Graduates / Year
9,220
Avg Net Price / yr
$21,709
How Much Do Aerospace Engineering Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Aerospace Engineering, a typical graduate earns $98,207, well above average for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $81,638 and $115,917, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $72,408 at one year out to $98,207 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Earnings grow steadily as you advance past entry-level roles. The four-year figure is a better long-term target.
$98,207
4-Year National Median
Well above average for college graduates.
$96,510
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Aerospace Engineering graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Sector is the biggest factor. Tech companies and finance firms tend to pay significantly more than government, education, or nonprofit employers in this field.
$81,63825th pct.
$98,207Median
$115,91775th pct.
Why This Program Pays Off Fast
Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $98,207 against an estimated $86,836 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.
Based on outcomes from 76 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 9,220 students who complete Aerospace Engineering programs each year, the majority (68%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
68%26%
Bachelor's68%
Master's26%
Doctorate5%
What Can You Do With an Aerospace Engineering Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Aerospace Engineering graduates show up in 5 different occupations, and Architectural & Engineering Manager pays the most at $171,270/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
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.
Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
Teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
Critical ThinkingQuality Control AnalysisOperations MonitoringReading ComprehensionActive Listening
Day-to-day responsibilities
Operate, install, adjust, and maintain integrated computer/communications systems, consoles, simulators, and other data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments and equipment, which are used to launch, track, position, and evaluate air and space vehicles. May record and interpret test data.
Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
Equipment MaintenanceTroubleshootingRepairingQuality Control AnalysisOperations Monitoring
Day-to-day responsibilities
Install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles.
Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
Keep records of maintenance and repair work.
Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
Top Colleges for Aerospace Engineering
Not sure where to study Aerospace Engineering? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Aerospace Engineering graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Engineering Programs
Aerospace Engineering is not the only path through Engineering: 37 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of an Aerospace Engineering program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Strong earnings and positive career growth make Aerospace Engineering a solid option. The 4 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are data-sourced from College Scorecard, BLS, and IPEDS.
PROS
Strong median salaryGraduates earn $98,207 nationally four years out, placing this field above most degree programs in the country.
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $72,408 at graduation to $98,207 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Fast-growing fieldRelated careers are projected to grow up to +11.9% over the next decade, with Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians among the fastest-growing roles.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 25,400 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
CONS
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
$98,207 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $81,638 and $115,917, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for an Aerospace Engineering degree?
$72,408 in the first year out. That grows to $98,207 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with an Aerospace Engineering degree?
Architectural & Engineering Manager is one path, and it pays a median of $171,270 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does an Aerospace Engineering program take?
Four years of full-time study for an Aerospace Engineering bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Aerospace Engineering?
95 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is an Aerospace Engineering degree worth it?
$98,207 median earnings four years out against $21,709 a year in average net price. That is a fast payback, and it holds up especially well at lower-cost schools. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Aerospace Engineering and Engineering?
Aerospace Engineering is the narrower of the two: Engineering covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Aerospace Engineering-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Aerospace Engineering graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Aerospace Engineering graduates consistently look for analytical thinking, technical proficiency, and data interpretation. Employers typically prioritize candidates who can demonstrate hands-on project or internship experience alongside their coursework. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Aerospace Engineering graduates?
Usually worth considering. A master's in a STEM field can accelerate advancement into research, leadership, or senior engineering roles, and often adds $15,000 to $40,000 in long-term earning potential depending on specialization. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
What is the job outlook for Aerospace Engineering graduates?
Outlook is strong overall: related occupations average +8.6% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians are among the strongest-growth roles at +11.9%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Engineering Programs
Other programs in Engineering. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Choose a Major Pillar
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
The real cost of a second major, when it pays back and when it doesn't, and why a focused single major with a relevant minor often beats a double major.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
Major earnings
Highest paying majors
Job growth
STEM
Field of study
Does Engineering Tech Out-Earn Engineering? The Data Says No
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
Engineering
Program earnings
Applied degree
Technician careers
STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
Engineering pay
Computer science
Program earnings
Major choice
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
