Aerospace Engineer.
Seattle.
$174,000
median salary, 29% above the national average
$135,000 to $224,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Aerospace Engineer pay in Seattle ranges from $135,000 to $224,000 in 2026. The median is $174,000, 29% above the national average. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. 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 Seattle, 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 $163,580 for Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011) in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, based on 5,480 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$112,650
25th percentile
$131,910
Median
$163,580
75th percentile
$181,520
90th percentile
$207,710
Workers surveyed
5,480
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 Seattle 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 $157,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$113,000
to $139,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$148,000
to $183,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$191,000
to $226,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$218,000
to $270,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $43,000 to the total package.
Base
$174,000
Equity
$24,000
Bonus
$16,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $217,000
How Seattle compares.
Seattle, WA
$174,000
Cost of living: 24% above average
National Average
$135,000
Seattle is $39,000 above
Aerospace Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Seattle.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Aerospace Engineer roles in Seattle, here is what you are walking into. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. The presence of major tech headquarters drives some of the highest engineering salaries outside the Bay Area. Seattle's job market is particularly strong for cloud infrastructure, machine learning, and enterprise software roles. 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 Seattle, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 24% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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: washington State has no personal income tax, which significantly boosts take home pay. However, state and local sales taxes are among the highest in the country at roughly 10.25%. When someone quotes you $174,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Remind employers that no state income tax makes your effective compensation higher. You can accept a slightly lower gross salary and still take home more than in California. The range for Aerospace Engineers in Seattle runs from $135,000 to $224,000. 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?
- An AI Research Scientist in Seattle earns $175,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Seattle is CTO at $365,000
Common questions.
Aerospace Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Seattle.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Aerospace Engineer Salary in Seattle, WA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/aerospace-engineer/seattle
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