Talent Maps / Houston / Aerospace Engineers

Houston Aerospace Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What aerospace engineers earn in Houston, from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and its contractors to the commercial space companies at the Houston Spaceport, where they work and what is driving demand.

Hiring aerospace engineers in Houston?

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 in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area, home to NASA’s human spaceflight center and a fast-growing commercial space industry. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses NASA and company data published in 2025 and 2026. Our engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Dallas-Fort Worth aerospace talent map and our Houston mechanical and electrical engineer talent maps.

$133,970Median aerospace engineer pay in HoustonBLS, May 2025

20,356NASA federal employees and contractors in TexasNASA economic impact report

$9.8BEconomic output from NASA’s work in TexasNASA economic impact report

$1.76BIntuitive Machines’ contract backlog in mid-2026Intuitive Machines, August 2026

8,500+Jobs supported by Ellington Airport and the Houston SpaceportHouston Airports

April 2026Artemis II flew its crew around the Moon, managed from HoustonNASA

Aerospace engineer salaries in Houston

The median aerospace engineer in metro Houston earns $133,970 a year, in line with the national median of $134,960 and above the Texas median of $130,270. Houston’s top 10% earn $195,190 or more. Compare Fort Worth’s defense-driven market in our Dallas-Fort Worth aerospace talent map.

Annual pay percentile	Houston metro	Texas	United States
10th percentile	$80,850	$82,990	$86,700
25th percentile	$101,990	$103,810	$106,110
Median	$133,970	$130,270	$134,960
75th percentile	$167,600	$166,980	$169,690
90th percentile	$195,190	$195,190	$205,890

Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine.

Aerospace engineering technicians earn a median of $76,920 in Houston, and aircraft mechanics $85,400, with the top 10% of mechanics at $131,090 or more.

Where Houston’s aerospace engineers work

NASA and its contractors

Johnson Space Center runs human spaceflight, astronaut training and mission control. NASA reports 2,997 federal employees and 17,359 contractors in Texas.

Jacobs holds JSC’s main engineering contract, worth up to $3.9 billion over 10 years, and Houston-headquartered KBR won a $2.46 billion astronaut health and performance contract starting in 2025. Boeing is NASA’s largest contractor in Texas.

Commercial space

Intuitive Machines, headquartered at the Houston Spaceport, reported record quarterly revenue of $206 million and a $1.76 billion backlog in August 2026. It holds NASA’s Near Space Network contract, worth up to $4.82 billion, and is moving satellite production into a 116,000 square foot building.

Axiom Space, also at the Spaceport, is developing a commercial space station and NASA’s next spacesuits.

Startups and new entrants

Venus Aerospace raised $91 million in July 2026 to develop its rotating detonation rocket engine. Texas Southern University opened a 22,000 square foot hangar at Ellington in 2026.

Airlines

United Airlines has more than 14,000 employees in Houston, runs a 91,000 square foot technical operations training center at IAH and is building a $177 million ground equipment facility due in 2027.

Where the talent sits: Houston submarkets

Clear Lake and NASA

Human spaceflightContractors

Johnson Space Center, its contractors and Exploration Park, where the Texas A&M Space Institute opens in October 2026.

Ellington and the Houston Spaceport

Commercial space

Intuitive Machines, Axiom Space and other Spaceport tenants, which generate about $2 billion a year in economic activity.

IAH and north Houston

AirlinesMRO

United’s hub and technical operations center at Bush Intercontinental.

Central Houston

StartupsHeadquarters

KBR headquarters downtown and Venus Aerospace.

What’s driving demand for aerospace engineers in Houston

Artemis. Artemis II flew its crew around the Moon from April 1 to 10, 2026. Artemis III is now planned as a crewed test in Earth orbit in 2027, with the first landing on Artemis IV in 2028.
NASA’s budget. Congress appropriated $24.44 billion for NASA in fiscal 2026, or $27.53 billion including reconciliation funding, after the White House proposed a 24% cut. About 4,000 NASA employees agency-wide took deferred resignation in 2025, so contractors are carrying more of the work.
Commercial lunar work. Intuitive Machines expects $900 million to $1 billion of revenue in 2026 and won its sixth NASA lunar delivery mission.
Spacesuits and stations. NASA’s spacesuit contracts with Axiom are worth up to $3.1 billion, and Axiom’s first station module is planned for launch no earlier than 2027.

The talent pipeline

Texas A&M. Its aerospace engineering department has 724 undergraduates and 261 graduate students and is ranked No. 6 among public graduate programs. Its $200 million, 400,000 square foot Space Institute at Exploration Park opens in October 2026.
University of Houston. UH offers an MS in aerospace engineering.
Rice University. Rice offers aerospace as a specialization within its mechanical engineering degree.
San Jacinto College. Its Aerospace Academy trains technicians in composites, electrical, quality, structures and drones.
Citizenship. NASA civil service jobs require US citizenship with very rare exceptions, and many contractor roles have similar rules.

What this means if you’re hiring

Houston is a spaceflight market. Human spaceflight, life support, avionics and mission operations experience is concentrated here. Write job posts for that audience.
Commercial space is growing faster than NASA. Intuitive Machines and Axiom are hiring while NASA’s own workforce shrinks. Expect competition for experienced engineers.
Plan for citizenship requirements. Many NASA and contractor roles require US citizenship, which narrows the pool.
Look at energy engineers. Houston’s mechanical and electrical engineers often move into space work. See our Houston mechanical engineer talent map.

Need aerospace engineers in Houston?

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

Call 832.519.1704 or see our Houston engineering recruiters page.

Hire aerospace engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do aerospace engineers make in Houston?

The median aerospace engineer salary in metro Houston is $133,970 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $101,990 and $167,600, and the top 10% earn $195,190 or more.

Who hires aerospace engineers in Houston?

NASA’s Johnson Space Center and contractors such as Jacobs, KBR and Boeing, commercial space companies such as Intuitive Machines and Axiom Space, startups such as Venus Aerospace and United Airlines at IAH.

Is Houston a good place for aerospace engineers?

For human spaceflight, yes. Houston is home to mission control and astronaut training, and its commercial space companies are growing. Read more on whether aerospace engineering is a good career.

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