Side-by-side distribution
Aerospace Engineer
$173,993
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 30.6%
- Live roles
- 36
Materials Engineer
$155,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 48.4%
- Live roles
- 64
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
Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer
Materials & Processes Engineer
Senior Materials Engineer, Dielectrics
Senior Materials Engineer, Diagnostics
Senior Materials Engineer, Ceramic Fabrication
Staff Materials & Processes Engineer, Structural Composites
Materials Engineer
Materials Engineer
Research Engineer, Materials Science
Senior Materials Engineer (Metal 3D Printing)
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 |
|---|---|---|
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 6 |
|
Helion
|
$200,000 | 5 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 5 |
|
Relativity Space
|
$155,000 | 3 |
|
Neuralink
|
$116,900 | 2 |
|
Archer
|
$232,500 | 1 |
| DE DeepMind | $171,500 | 1 |
|
Freeform
|
$162,500 | 1 |
Materials Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $132,500 | 3 |
Aerospace Engineer vs Materials Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Aerospace Engineer is $173,993 per year (typically $137,500–$212,500), versus $155,000 for Materials Engineer ($108,750–$170,750). That puts Aerospace Engineer about 12% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Aerospace Engineer and Materials 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.