Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians in the United States earn a median salary of $82,890 per year — about $40 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 9K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +8%.
AI & Automation Risk
This occupation involves a significant amount of physical labor, such as building test facilities, installing instruments, and maintaining hardware, which provides a buffer against AI automation. However, the role also includes substantial digital tasks like recording data, running computer simulations, and calibrating systems—areas where AI is rapidly improving and can significantly enhance productivity or automate data analysis.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, COBEST VALUE | $123,350 | Above avg (105.8) | $116,623 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $119,980 | Above avg (107.3) | $111,775 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $125,160 | Above avg (112.7) | $111,025 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $102,980 | Average (98.3) | $104,776 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $98,800 | Average (102.5) | $96,400 |
| Wichita, KS | $78,350 | Below avg (89.4) | $87,619 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $81,820 | Below avg (94.3) | $86,740 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $88,410 | Average (102.4) | $86,347 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $98,940 | Above avg (114.7) | $86,223 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $78,590 | Below avg (92.4) | $85,075 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $83,250 | Average (98.1) | $84,851 |
| Akron, OH | $78,760 | Below avg (92.9) | $84,757 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $79,310 | Below avg (94.2) | $84,172 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $92,360 | Above avg (110.7) | $83,402 |
| Cleveland, OH | $77,260 | Below avg (92.9) | $83,157 |
Education & Requirements
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