Talent Maps / Austin / Aerospace Engineers

Austin Aerospace Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What aerospace engineers earn in Austin, from Firefly’s spacecraft work in Cedar Park to SpaceX’s Starlink plant in Bastrop and the city’s defense technology companies, where they work and what is driving demand.

Hiring aerospace engineers in Austin?

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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area, where commercial space and defense technology companies have grown quickly. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses company filings, state grant records and news reports from 2025 and 2026. Our engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our San Antonio aerospace talent map and our Austin mechanical, electrical and industrial engineer talent maps.

$123,210Median aerospace engineer pay in metro AustinBLS, May 2025

1,409Firefly Aerospace full-time employees at the end of 2025Firefly 10-K

1,590Workers at SpaceX’s Starlink plant in BastropElgin Courier, June 2026

$9.25BSaronic’s valuation after its March 2026 funding roundCNBC

600+Researchers at UT Austin’s Applied Research LaboratoriesUT Austin, July 2026

$28MTexas Space Commission grants to Firefly, CesiumAstro, ICON and UT AustinTexas Space Commission

Aerospace engineer salaries in Austin

The median aerospace engineer in metro Austin earns $123,210 a year, below the Texas median of $130,270 and the national median of $134,960. Pay at the top is closer: Austin’s top 10% earn $195,450 or more, slightly above the Texas figure. Compare Houston’s spaceflight market in our Houston aerospace talent map.

Annual pay percentile	Austin metro	Texas	United States
10th percentile	$79,100	$82,990	$86,700
25th percentile	$100,220	$103,810	$106,110
Median	$123,210	$130,270	$134,960
75th percentile	$160,630	$166,980	$169,690
90th percentile	$195,450	$195,190	$205,890

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

Aircraft mechanics earn a median of $84,440 in Austin, with the top 10% at $108,570 or more.

Where Austin’s aerospace engineers work

Space companies

Firefly Aerospace had 1,409 full-time employees at the end of 2025. Its Blue Ghost lander touched down upright on the Moon in March 2025 under a $102 million NASA contract, and the company listed on Nasdaq in August 2025. It reported $117.7 million of revenue in the second quarter of 2026.

CesiumAstro and ICON have also won Texas Space Commission grants.

Starlink manufacturing

SpaceX employs 1,590 workers at its Bastrop Starlink plant, with average salaries above $75,000. It has proposed an $855 million expansion and is targeting 10 million Starlink kits a year by the end of 2026.

Defense technology

Saronic builds autonomous vessels and is headquartered in Austin, with a production facility of about 420,000 square feet. It raised $1.75 billion in March 2026. Its large Port Alpha shipyard is in Brownsville, not Austin.

BAE Systems opened a $150 million, 390,000 square foot electronic warfare and countermeasures facility at Parmer Austin Business Park in 2022.

Research and the Army

UT Austin’s Applied Research Laboratories has more than 600 researchers and 300 support staff. It is one of 15 University Affiliated Research Centers, and about 60% of its work is for the Navy.

The Army’s Transformation and Training Command (T2COM) is headquartered in Austin.

Where the talent sits: Austin submarkets

Cedar Park

SpaceSpacecraft

Firefly’s headquarters and its Hive spacecraft facility. Its Rocket Ranch test site, with six test stands, is in Briggs.

Bastrop

ManufacturingSatellites

SpaceX’s Starlink plant and its proposed expansion.

Old Bastrop Highway

DefenseManufacturing

Saronic’s headquarters at Dalton Lane and Old Bastrop Highway.

Parmer Lane

Defense electronics

BAE Systems’ facility at Parmer Austin Business Park.

UT Austin and Round Rock

ResearchArmy

UT Austin’s Cockrell School and Applied Research Laboratories, and T2COM, which has offices in Round Rock.

What’s driving demand for aerospace engineers in Austin

Firefly’s growth. Firefly expects $420 million to $450 million of revenue in 2026 and is building a new headquarters and expanding its campus.
Defense startups. Saronic raised $600 million at a $4 billion valuation in February 2025, then $1.75 billion at a $9.25 billion valuation in March 2026.
Starlink output. SpaceX is targeting 10 million Starlink kits a year by the end of 2026 and has proposed an $855 million expansion in Bastrop.
State grants. The Texas Space Commission has awarded $150 million to 24 projects, including up to $10 million for CesiumAstro, $9.27 million for UT Austin and up to $8.2 million for Firefly.
Army modernization. Army Futures Command was merged with TRADOC in October 2025 to form T2COM, which kept its headquarters in Austin.

The talent pipeline

UT Austin. Its aerospace engineering graduate program is ranked No. 8 by U.S. News for 2026-2027, and the Cockrell School is No. 6 overall.
Texas A&M. Its aerospace graduate program is also ranked No. 8, and No. 5 among public schools.
Adjacent engineers. Mechanical and electrical engineers often move into space and defense work. See our Austin mechanical engineer talent map.

What this means if you’re hiring

Don’t price off the median alone. Austin’s median is below Texas and US levels, but its top 10% earn slightly more than the Texas 90th percentile. Experienced hires will expect pay near the top of the range.
Compete with funded startups. Firefly went public in 2025 and Saronic has raised more than $2 billion since early 2025. Move fast on strong candidates.
Recruit from UT Austin. A top 10 graduate program sits in the middle of the market.
Look at electrical engineers. Electronic warfare work at BAE and ARL:UT draws on electrical skills. See our Austin electrical engineer talent map.

Need aerospace engineers in Austin?

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 512.686.1181 or see our Austin engineering recruiters page.

Hire aerospace engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do aerospace engineers make in Austin?

The median aerospace engineer salary in metro Austin is $123,210 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $100,220 and $160,630, and the top 10% earn $195,450 or more.

Who hires aerospace engineers in Austin?

Firefly Aerospace in Cedar Park, SpaceX’s Starlink plant in Bastrop, defense companies such as Saronic and BAE Systems, UT Austin’s Applied Research Laboratories, and space startups such as CesiumAstro.

Does Austin pay aerospace engineers less than San Antonio or Houston?

At the median, yes. Aerospace engineers earn a median of $123,210 in metro Austin, $128,400 in metro San Antonio and $133,970 in metro Houston. Read more on whether aerospace engineering is a good career.

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