Side-by-side distribution
Aerospace Engineer
$132,936
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 67%
- Live roles
- 200
Automotive Engineer
$160,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50.4%
- Live roles
- 417
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Airframe Engineer - IPT Lead [AERO]
Senior Aerospace Software Engineer
Staff Engineer Aeronautical (level 5)
Staff Aeronautical Engineer- Test & Evaluation
Staff Aeronautical Engineer (VMS & GNC)
Staff Engineer Aeronautical
Astrodynamics Aerospace Engineer, Lead
Astrodynamics Aerospace Engineer, Lead
Structures Engineer, Aerospace & Defense (All Levels)
Sentinel CFD Staff Aeronautical Engineer - 20341
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Software Engineer – Core OS, Vehicle Compute
Principal Software Engineer - Vehicle AI
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Staff Software Engineer – Core OS, Vehicle Compute
Senior / Staff Machine Learning Engineer, Vehicle Dynamics
Space Vehicle Chief Engineer (Level 7)
Chief Engineer, Space Vehicle Autonomy
Chief Engineer, Software-Defined Vehicle Platform
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$142,500 | 41 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$125,894 | 12 |
Xometry
|
$72,375 | 9 |
| BO Boeing | $149,000 | 6 |
| GV GE Vernova | $90,000 | 6 |
|
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$142,450 | 5 |
Leidos
|
$122,275 | 5 |
TSC
|
$121,000 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$222,000 | 43 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$153,500 | 21 |
Relativity Space
|
$136,000 | 18 |
|
General Motors
|
$150,210 | 13 |
The Aerospace Corporation
|
$155,100 | 12 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$127,500 | 9 |
SpaceX
|
$142,500 | 7 |
Inversion
|
$130,500 | 7 |
Aerospace Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $135,000 | 9 |
| Seattle | $133,874 | 12 |
| Denver | $109,121 | 11 |
Automotive Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $193,000 | 11 |
| Boston | $193,000 | 9 |
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 4 |
| Austin | $149,025 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $144,750 | 6 |
Aerospace Engineer vs Automotive Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Aerospace Engineer is $132,936 per year (typically $114,700–$151,981), versus $160,500 for Automotive Engineer ($130,000–$193,000). That puts Automotive Engineer about 21% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Aerospace Engineer and Automotive Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.