Aerospace Engineer.
Dallas.
$135,000
median salary, at the national average
$105,000 to $174,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Aerospace Engineer pay in Dallas at $135,000, within a range of $105,000 to $174,000. That is right at the national average. Dallas is a major corporate hub with dozens of Fortune 500 headquarters spanning telecom, finance, defense, and retail. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Aerospace Engineer in Dallas, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $134,570 for Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011) in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan area, based on 3,430 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$96,650
25th percentile
$107,660
Median
$134,570
75th percentile
$177,470
90th percentile
$214,150
Workers surveyed
3,430
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011) rather than Aerospace Engineer specifically. The Dallas range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 17-2011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $121,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$88,000
to $108,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$115,000
to $142,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$149,000
to $176,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$169,000
to $209,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $34,000 to the total package.
Base
$135,000
Equity
$19,000
Bonus
$12,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $169,000
How Dallas compares.
Dallas, TX
$135,000
Cost of living: 1% above average
National Average
$135,000
Same as local rate
Aerospace Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Dallas.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Aerospace Engineer roles in Dallas, here is what you are walking into. Dallas is a major corporate hub with dozens of Fortune 500 headquarters spanning telecom, finance, defense, and retail. The metro's low cost of living and no state income tax make it a magnet for corporate relocations. Tech salaries in Dallas have risen quickly, particularly in fintech, cybersecurity, and enterprise software. Security clearance level and employer type drive the widest variance. Defense contractors pay 10 to 20% premiums for TS/SCI clearances. Specialization in propulsion, avionics, or spacecraft systems commands higher compensation than structural analysis. The growing commercial space sector is pushing salaries upward across all levels.
Junior aerospace engineers start at $88,000 to $100,000. Senior engineers reach $115,000 to $152,000 after six to eight years. Principal engineers and engineering directors earn $155,000 to $210,000, with chief engineers at major programs exceeding $230,000. In Dallas, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Defense contractors offer 8 to 15% annual bonuses and retention bonuses of $10,000 to $30,000 for cleared engineers. Commercial space companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin add equity packages. Many roles include relocation assistance and clearance processing support. And on the tax side: texas levies no state income tax, giving Dallas workers a meaningful take home pay advantage. Local property taxes are above the national average, typically around 2% of assessed value. When someone quotes you $135,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight the corporate headquarters density in DFW. Employers here compete fiercely for talent and often match or exceed offers from companies across the metroplex. The range for Aerospace Engineers in Dallas runs from $105,000 to $174,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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- A Machine Learning Engineer in Dallas earns $134,000 (1% less)
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Common questions.
Aerospace Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Dallas.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Aerospace Engineer Salary in Dallas, TX." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/aerospace-engineer/dallas
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