California · SOC 17-2011
Aerospace Engineer Salary in California
VerifiedPublished wages for aerospace engineers in California, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Aerospace Engineers in California earn a median of $143,860 per year ($157,060 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $118,000–$185,220; the top 10% earn $224,660. That is 7% above the national median of $134,830, ranking California #8 of 42 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$143,860
+7% vs national
Top 10% earn
$224,660
90th percentile
Employed in state
9,330
Reliability Good (6.5% RSE)
Aerospace Engineer pay distribution — California vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $102,380 | +20% |
| 25th percentile | $118,000 | +13% |
| Median50th percentile | $143,860 | +7% |
| 75th percentile | $185,220 | +6% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $224,660 | +9% |
| Meanaverage | $157,060 | +11% |
Where aerospace engineers earn most in California
Metro areas in California where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2011. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JoseSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $167,340 | $220,390 | 840 |
| San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $160,000 | $238,710 | 210 |
| SacramentoSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $145,860 | $225,420 | 120 |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $143,860 | $238,230 | 6,090 |
| San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $132,320 | $189,560 | 750 |
| Santa MariaSanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $129,230 | $190,930 | 130 |
| OxnardOxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $128,750 | $191,880 | 90 |
| BakersfieldBakersfield-Delano, CA | $127,900 | $184,720 | 630 |
| RiversideRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $126,220 | $182,850 | 120 |
California engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.16
Jobs per 1,000
0.52
State rank (pay)
#8 of 42
All engineering roles
$154,208
A location quotient of 1.16 means California employs aerospace engineers at a meaningfully higher rate than the country as a whole — a genuine cluster for this discipline.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a aerospace engineer make in California?
Is California a good state for aerospace engineers?
What is the highest salary for a aerospace engineer in California?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2011 (Aerospace Engineers), California (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →