Aerospace Engineer.
Phoenix.
$133,000
median salary, 1% below the national average
$104,000 to $172,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Phoenix is 4% cheaper than the national average. For Aerospace Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $133,000, with the full range spanning $104,000 to $172,000. Security clearance level and employer type drive the widest variance. Know the range before you walk in. 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 Phoenix, 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 $130,470 for Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011) in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan area, based on 1,360 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$89,150
25th percentile
$102,550
Median
$130,470
75th percentile
$179,460
90th percentile
$232,940
Workers surveyed
1,360
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 Phoenix 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 $120,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$86,000
to $106,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$113,000
to $140,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$146,000
to $173,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$166,000
to $206,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $34,000 to the total package.
Base
$133,000
Equity
$19,000
Bonus
$12,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $167,000
How Phoenix compares.
Phoenix, AZ
$133,000
Cost of living: 4% below average
National Average
$135,000
Phoenix is $2,000 below
Aerospace Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Phoenix.
What you should know.
The Aerospace Engineer landscape in Phoenix is not what most salary sites will tell you. Phoenix is one of the fastest growing metros in the U.S., fueled by semiconductor manufacturing, financial services, and tech company expansions. Intel, TSMC, and other chipmakers have made massive investments in the area. The combination of affordable housing and rising salaries has made Phoenix increasingly attractive to relocating professionals. 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 Phoenix, 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: arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax rate, one of the lowest in the nation. Phoenix has no additional city income tax, making overall take home pay very competitive. When someone quotes you $133,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference the influx of semiconductor and tech employers to justify higher offers. Phoenix salaries are rising fast, and employers know they must compete with coastal recruiters. The range for Aerospace Engineers in Phoenix runs from $104,000 to $172,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- A Computer Vision Engineer in Phoenix earns $132,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Phoenix is CTO at $279,000
Common questions.
Aerospace Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Phoenix.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Aerospace Engineer Salary in Phoenix, AZ." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/aerospace-engineer/phoenix
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