Talent Maps / Atlanta / Aerospace Engineers

Atlanta Aerospace Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What aerospace engineers earn in metro Atlanta, from Lockheed Martin in Marietta to Delta TechOps at the airport, where they work and who else is hiring them.

Hiring aerospace engineers in Atlanta?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers aerospace engineers and the closely related mechanical, avionics and maintenance engineering roles in metro Atlanta. Pay figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses 2025 and 2026 company and state data. See also our Atlanta mechanical and manufacturing engineer talent maps, or browse all Atlanta talent maps.

$150,220Median aerospace engineer pay in metro Atlanta, above the $134,960 national medianBLS, May 2025

1,200New Lockheed Martin jobs announced for Marietta in June 2026Office of the Governor

3,120Aerospace engineers employed in Georgia, with about 200 openings a yearProjections Central, 2024

#2Georgia Tech’s aerospace engineering programs nationally, graduate and undergraduateU.S. News, 2026

#1Civilian aircraft and parts remained Georgia’s top export category in 2025Office of the Governor

$98,300Median pay for aircraft mechanics and technicians in metro AtlantaBLS, May 2025

Aerospace engineer salaries in Atlanta

Metro Atlanta aerospace engineers earn a median of $150,220, about $15,000 more than the national median, and the 75th percentile reaches $177,320. Aircraft mechanics in Atlanta, home to Delta’s main maintenance base, also earn well above the national median.

Occupation (BLS category)	Atlanta median	Atlanta top 10%	US median
Aerospace engineers	$150,220	$199,140+	$134,960
Electronics engineers (avionics proxy)	$135,350	$209,170+	$130,220
Mechanical engineers	$102,020	$165,990+	$104,110
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians	$98,300	$133,250+	$79,870

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. BLS publishes no Atlanta or Georgia figure for aerospace engineering technicians (national median $82,890). Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Who employs aerospace engineers in Atlanta

Lockheed Martin, Marietta

The anchor employer. Lockheed’s 8 million square foot Marietta site builds the C-130J Super Hercules and the F-35 center wing, supports the F-22, C-5 and P-3, and employs more than 5,600 people. More than 2,700 C-130s have been built there, and the state announced 1,200 new jobs in June 2026.

Delta TechOps and Delta Flight Products

Delta TechOps, next to Hartsfield-Jackson, is the largest airline-owned maintenance, repair and overhaul operation in North America and the only one certified on all three major next-generation engine platforms.

Delta Flight Products runs a 111,000 square foot Atlanta facility with engineering labs and more than 30 FAA-designated engineering representatives.

New entrants

Archer Aviation finished a roughly 400,000 square foot manufacturing facility for its electric aircraft in Covington in late 2024. PBS Aerospace, a jet engine maker, opened its North American headquarters, manufacturing and R&D site in Roswell in 2025.

Research, defense and suppliers

Georgia Tech Research Institute’s aerospace lab is in Smyrna, and Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta is home to the 94th Airlift Wing. Suppliers include Universal Alloy in Canton and Axillon Aerospace’s composites plant in Rockmart, on the metro’s northwest edge.

Where the talent sits: Atlanta submarkets

Cobb County

Military aircraftResearch

Lockheed Martin and Dobbins in Marietta, GTRI in Smyrna and Kennesaw State’s new aerospace program. The deepest aerospace talent pool in the metro.

Airport

MROCabin and interiors

Delta TechOps and Delta Flight Products at Hartsfield-Jackson. Strong in engines, maintenance engineering and aircraft modifications.

North Fulton and Cherokee

EnginesMaterials

PBS Aerospace in Roswell and Universal Alloy in Canton.

East and northwest edges

eVTOLComposites

Archer Aviation in Covington and Axillon Aerospace in Rockmart.

Georgia aerospace by the numbers

Exports. Georgia exported $60.2 billion of goods in 2025, a record, and civilian aircraft and parts remained the top category.
Jobs. The C-130J and F-35 programs support more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in Georgia. Select Georgia counts 84 aerospace facilities with 25 or more employees, employing 38,000 people.
Outside the metro. Gulfstream in Savannah, Pratt & Whitney in Columbus and Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins all recruit from the same Georgia talent pool.

The talent pipeline

Georgia Tech. The Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering is ranked No. 2 in the country for both graduate and undergraduate programs by U.S. News for 2026, and it runs the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory, led by Regents Professor Dimitri Mavris.
Kennesaw State University. Launched a BS in aerospace engineering in fall 2025, the second in Georgia. As a new program, its ABET accreditation is still to come.
Atlanta Technical College. Runs an FAA-certified aviation maintenance program developed with Delta TechOps.
Growth. Georgia is projected to grow from 3,120 aerospace engineers in 2024 to 3,350 in 2034.

What this means if you’re hiring

Budget well above national rates. Atlanta’s aerospace median is about $15,000 above the national figure.
Plan for citizenship and clearance requirements. Defense programs often require US citizenship and a security clearance, which narrows the pool.
Expect competition from Lockheed. Its 1,200 new Marietta jobs will pull experienced engineers from suppliers and other employers in Cobb County.
Look at adjacent talent. Mechanical, manufacturing and quality engineers from automotive and industrial plants can move into aerospace with AS9100 training. Read more on aerospace engineering careers.

Need aerospace engineers in Atlanta?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place aerospace, mechanical, manufacturing and quality engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 404.474.4571 or see our Atlanta engineering recruiters page.

Hire aerospace engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do aerospace engineers make in Atlanta?

The median aerospace engineer salary in metro Atlanta is $150,220, according to May 2025 BLS data, compared with $134,960 nationally. The top 10% earn $199,140 or more.

Who hires aerospace engineers in Atlanta?

Lockheed Martin in Marietta is the largest. Others include Delta TechOps and Delta Flight Products, Archer Aviation, PBS Aerospace, Georgia Tech Research Institute and suppliers such as Universal Alloy.

Where can I study aerospace engineering in Atlanta?

Georgia Tech’s aerospace engineering school is ranked No. 2 in the country, and Kennesaw State launched a new aerospace engineering degree in 2025.

Sources (14)