Salary comparison
Aerospace Engineer vs Nuclear Engineer salary
Aerospace Engineers out-earn nuclear engineers by about $7,310 at the median. Here is the full side-by-side breakdown — pay range, top states, and experience.
Aerospace Engineers earn more — a median of $134,830 versus $127,520 for nuclear engineers, a gap of about $7,310 (6%). Both figures are published national wage benchmarks.
Aerospace Engineer
Verified$134,830
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $85,350
- Top 10%
- $205,850
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Nuclear Engineer
Verified$127,520
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $88,290
- Top 10%
- $187,430
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Aerospace Engineer vs Nuclear Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileAerospace Engineer | $85,350 |
| MedianAerospace Engineer | $134,830 |
| 90th percentileAerospace Engineer | $205,850 |
| 10th percentileNuclear Engineer | $88,290 |
| MedianNuclear Engineer | $127,520 |
| 90th percentileNuclear Engineer | $187,430 |
Pay by experience
Modeled progression from entry to principal level for each role (estimated from the national percentile curve).
Aerospace Engineer
Nuclear Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Aerospace Engineer
- District of Columbia$175,350
- Washington$158,600
- Maryland$158,220
- Massachusetts$152,210
- Colorado$151,570
Nuclear Engineer
- District of Columbia$189,800
- California$167,660
- New York$159,290
- Maryland$150,340
- Minnesota$150,260
Which should you choose?
On pay alone, aerospace engineers earn about 6% more at the median — but location and specialization routinely move pay by more than that gap.
Pick aerospace engineer if…
Aerospace engineers design aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles, and test prototypes to ensure they function safely.
- ▹Defense/space clearance requirements
- ▹Industry (commercial aviation, defense, new space)
- ▹Years of experience
Pick nuclear engineer if…
Nuclear engineers research and develop the processes, instruments, and systems used to derive benefits from nuclear energy and radiation.
- ▹Utilities vs. national labs vs. defense
- ▹Security clearance
- ▹Years of experience
Aerospace Engineer vs Nuclear Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, aerospace engineers or nuclear engineers?
What is the salary range for aerospace engineers vs nuclear engineers?
Should I become a aerospace engineer or a nuclear engineer?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2011 (Aerospace Engineers), national.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →