Side-by-side distribution
Aerospace Engineer
$173,993
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 30.6%
- Live roles
- 36
Automotive Engineer
$170,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 56.9%
- Live roles
- 204
Highest-paying jobs
Aerospace Software Certification Engineer
Principal Solutions Engineer - Aerospace & Defense
Delivery Engineer - Aerospace & Defense
Chief Engineer (Aerospace)
Structures Engineer, Aerospace & Defense (All Levels)
Senior Design Engineer (Aerospace & Defense Hardware)
AI Systems Engineer (Aerospace Integrations) (Hub-Remote: DC or Philly Metro)
Design Engineer (Aerospace and Defense Hardware)
Senior Product Quality Engineer, Aerospace
Hardware Test Engineer (Aerospace)
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Mission Software Engineer, Vehicle Software, Computer Vision
Principal Systems Engineer, Air Vehicle Software
Senior Robotics Software Engineer, Vehicle Software
Principal Systems Engineer, Air Vehicle Systems
Sr Staff Vehicle Controls Engineer
Senior Test Engineer (Arc Vehicle)
Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Arc Vehicle)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
PhysicsX
|
$212,500 | 2 |
|
Freeform
|
$155,000 | 2 |
|
Archer
|
$233,000 | 1 |
| VT Voyager Technologies, Inc. | $222,500 | 1 |
|
Divergent
|
$173,993 | 1 |
|
Element 84
|
$172,750 | 1 |
|
Latitudeinc
|
$140,000 | 1 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$129,500 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$193,000 | 41 |
Relativity Space
|
$165,000 | 12 |
|
Inversion
|
$150,250 | 10 |
Scout Motors
|
$122,500 | 9 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$106,000 | 7 |
Applied Intuition
|
$175,000 | 5 |
|
ALSO
|
$265,000 | 3 |
Kodiak
|
$195,000 | 3 |
Automotive Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $193,000 | 8 |
| Boston | $193,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $140,000 | 3 |
Aerospace Engineer vs Automotive Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Aerospace Engineer is $173,993 per year (typically $137,500–$212,500), versus $170,000 for Automotive Engineer ($136,750–$193,900). That puts Aerospace Engineer about 2% 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.