What is the salary and career path for a aerospace manufacturing engineer?
Aerospace manufacturing engineer falls under the broad Aerospace Engineers code (SOC 17-2011), which BLS does not split by function, so the OEWS May 2025 median is $134,960 a year ($64.89 an hour), from $86,700 at the 10th percentile to $205,890 at the 90th. Manufacturing-focused roles anchor near the median, rising with rate and program responsibility. BLS projects 6.1% growth over 2024–2034, faster than average, with roughly 4,500 openings a year across the code. The role requires an ABET aerospace or mechanical engineering degree, and defense production work often requires a U.S. security clearance and AS9100 process discipline.
- Aerospace Manufacturing Engineers earn a national median $134,960/yr ($64.89/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2011); the top 10% clear $205,890.
- The role requires an ABET aerospace or mechanical engineering degree, and defense production work often requires a clearance and AS9100 discipline.
- BLS projects 6.1% growth for 2024–34 across the aerospace-engineer code, faster than average, with roughly 4,500 openings a year.
- The ladder runs from associate through manufacturing engineer and lead to manufacturing-engineering manager near $205,890.
Career Path
How do you become an aerospace manufacturing engineer?
Associate Manufacturing Engineer
Supports tooling and process work under supervision; pay near the BLS 10th percentile.
Aerospace Manufacturing Engineer
Owns production processes, tooling and build rate for assemblies — around the $134,960 median.
Senior / Lead Manufacturing Engineer
Leads industrialization on major programs; earnings near the 75th percentile.
Manufacturing Engineering Manager
Runs the production-engineering function; top-decile pay near the 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays aerospace manufacturing engineers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2011. National median: $134,960. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does aerospace manufacturing engineer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles aerospace manufacturing engineers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: aerospace manufacturing engineers rank 1 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +6.1% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly aerospace manufacturing engineers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2011 (aerospace manufacturing engineers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do aerospace manufacturing engineers need?
The accredited engineering degree underpinning production and process engineering. See all state licences →
Familiarity with the aerospace quality-management standard governing production processes.
Process-improvement credentials that support rate and yield in aerospace manufacturing.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do aerospace manufacturing engineers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 17-2011
Salary Levers
How do aerospace manufacturing engineers earn above the $134,960 BLS median?
Program rate and responsibility
Owning industrialization on high-rate programs moves pay from the $134,960 median toward the $205,890 top decile.
Clearance and defense work
A security clearance on defense production programs lifts pay above early-career roles near the $86,700 p10.
Advancement to engineering management
Leading the manufacturing-engineering function reaches the top of the wage range.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming an aerospace manufacturing engineer worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2011. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Aerospace Manufacturing Engineer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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