Side-by-side distribution
Aerospace Engineer
$173,993
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 30.6%
- Live roles
- 36
Mechanical Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.6%
- Live roles
- 1,212
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
Data Center Research & Development Engineer, Mechanical - Industrial Compute
Mechanical Design Engineer
Staff Mechanical Engineer, Fluid Systems
Mechanical Engineer (Contract)
Mechanical Engineer, Sensing
Lead Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design
Senior Mechanical engineer
Mechanical Engineer-Federal
Mechanical Design Engineer
Mechanical Engineer, Soft Goods Design
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
|
$165,750 | 60 |
Syska Hennessy Group
|
$128,692 | 29 |
Relativity Space
|
$165,000 | 20 |
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 15 |
| DG DLR Group | $120,000 | 13 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$159,150 | 12 |
Figure
|
$185,000 | 11 |
Vast
|
$140,500 | 11 |
Mechanical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $182,000 | 16 |
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 53 |
| Seattle | $156,500 | 16 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 53 |
| Boston | $138,238 | 14 |
| London | $134,241 | 3 |
| New York | $131,000 | 27 |
| Denver | $120,462 | 8 |
| Chicago | $115,923 | 11 |
| Atlanta | $105,000 | 3 |
Aerospace Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Aerospace Engineer is $173,993 per year (typically $137,500–$212,500), versus $150,000 for Mechanical Engineer ($122,500–$172,500). That puts Aerospace Engineer about 16% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Aerospace Engineer and Mechanical 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.