Talent Maps / Greenville-Spartanburg / Aerospace Engineers

Greenville-Spartanburg Aerospace Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What aerospace engineers earn in Greenville-Spartanburg, which fighter, engine and flight control makers employ them, where in the Upstate they work, and the new plants competing for them.

Hiring aerospace engineers in Greenville-Spartanburg?

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 Greenville-Spartanburg. BLS reports it as two metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, which spans Anderson, Greenville, Laurens and Pickens counties, and Spartanburg, which spans Spartanburg and Union counties. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and company data published from 2025 to 2026. Our engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Greenville-Spartanburg mechanical, electrical and controls engineer talent maps.

$102,280Median aerospace engineer pay in metro GreenvilleBLS, May 2025

$162,730+What the top 10% of Greenville aerospace engineers earnBLS, May 2025

1,500+Skilled jobs supported by the F-16 program at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville siteLockheed Martin, 2025

12New F-16 Block 70 jets ordered by Peru, to be built in GreenvilleLockheed Martin, 2026

$200MWoodward flight control actuation plant in Greer, with about 275 jobsWoodward, 2025

$33MGE Aerospace investment at its Greenville engine components site in 2026Fox Carolina, 2026

Aerospace engineer salaries in Greenville-Spartanburg

The median aerospace engineer in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer metro earns $102,280 a year, $34,750 below the South Carolina median of $137,030 and $32,680 below the national median of $134,960. The hourly median is $49.17. The gap narrows at the top. Greenville’s 90th percentile is $162,730, against $170,150 statewide. BLS publishes no aerospace engineer estimate for the Spartanburg metro.

Annual pay percentile	Greenville metro	Spartanburg metro	South Carolina	United States
10th percentile	$81,270	n/a	$81,460	$86,700
25th percentile	$94,070	n/a	$102,280	$106,110
Median	$102,280	n/a	$137,030	$134,960
75th percentile	$133,600	n/a	$160,620	$169,690
90th percentile	$162,730	n/a	$170,150	$205,890

Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011). Greenville metro is Greenville-Anderson-Greer. BLS does not publish a Spartanburg estimate for this code (n/a). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Charleston’s aerospace median is $137,030, the same as the state figure. BLS publishes no Greenville or state estimate for aerospace engineering technologists and technicians (SOC 17-3021). The national median for that group is $82,890. Mechanical engineers, who fill many aerospace design and test roles, earn a Greenville median of $101,570, only $710 below the aerospace median. See our Greenville-Spartanburg mechanical engineer talent map.

Charlotte pays more. Its median is $132,830, which is $30,550 above Greenville’s. Its 90th percentile is $212,620, which is $49,890 above Greenville’s $162,730. See our Charlotte aerospace engineer talent map.

Where Greenville-Spartanburg’s aerospace engineers work

Fighter aircraft

Lockheed Martin’s Greenville facility is the world’s only active F-16 production line, with final assembly and other component manufacturing on site. The program supports more than 1,500 skilled jobs.

In December 2025 Lockheed finished the first F-16 Block 70 fleets for Bulgaria and Slovakia there. In April 2026 Peru chose 12 new Block 70 jets, which will also be built in Greenville.

Engine components

GE Aerospace’s Greenville site makes components for engines on narrowbody, regional and widebody aircraft. Its $33 million investment in 2026 adds precision grinding and machining equipment, inspection technology and tooling. It had 35 open jobs in March 2026.

Flight control actuation

Woodward is building a 300,000-square-foot plant in Greer for servo-hydraulic flight control actuation. Most early capacity will make spoiler actuation for the Airbus A350.

In September 2026 Woodward said military fixed-wing and rotorcraft flight control production will move there from Santa Clarita, California, a site with about 400 roles.

Aviation services

Greenville Technical College says students in its aircraft maintenance program already work at Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, Stevens Aviation, General Electric, GSP airport and Michelin.

Where the talent sits: Greenville-Spartanburg submarkets

SC Technology and Aviation Center

AviationTraining

Greenville Tech’s FAA-approved aircraft maintenance program runs at the center, formerly Donaldson Center, in an expanded facility developed in conjunction with the SC Army National Guard.

Greenville

EnginesTurbines

GE Aerospace’s components site and GE Vernova’s 1.55-million-square-foot gas turbine factory are both in Greenville.

Piedmont

Turbine blades

GE Aviation makes high-pressure turbine blades for commercial aircraft engines in Piedmont, according to the SC Daily Gazette.

Greer and Spartanburg County

ActuationManufacturing

Woodward broke ground on November 3, 2025 in Smith Farms Industrial Park, a 475-acre park in Greer. Operations are due in summer 2027.

GSP airport

AirfieldCargo

Zachry is widening Taxilane 2 and rebuilding the south general aviation apron for growth in corporate aviation and cargo. The FAA plans a new control tower, with work from late 2026 to 2030.

What’s driving demand for aerospace engineers in Greenville-Spartanburg

F-16 orders. Peru joins 29 other nations that fly the F-16, and its jets will be built on the Greenville line.
Engine ramp-up. GE Aerospace is investing $1 billion across its US sites and suppliers in 2026, including $33 million in Greenville.
Airbus A350 work. Woodward’s nearly $200 million plant will create about 275 jobs in manufacturing, engineering and business operations.
Production transfer. Woodward plans to close its Santa Clarita plant by December 2027 and move military flight control lines to Spartanburg County.
Turbine crossover. GE Vernova plans more than 650 factory and engineering jobs at its Greenville gas turbine plant, in the same metro.
Airport growth. GSP plans a terminal expansion once the new FAA tower is running.

Aerospace specialties tied to these employers

Manufacturing and structures engineers for fighter final assembly and component work.
Machining, grinding and inspection engineers for engine components and turbine blades.
Hydraulic and flight control systems engineers for actuation design and production.
Quality and test engineers for defense and commercial aerospace parts.
Airframe and powerplant specialists for maintenance, repair and airport operations.

The talent pipeline

Clemson University. Clemson’s Department of Mechanical Engineering lists jet engines and rockets among career paths, and Boeing is among the employers of its graduates. See our guide to hiring a mechanical engineer.
Greenville Technical College. Its aircraft maintenance graduates can sit the FAA airframe and powerplant exams, and an agreement with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University leads to a bachelor’s degree.
Licensing. When a role calls for a PE license, it is issued by the South Carolina Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors. Candidates who pass the FE exam in South Carolina can apply for engineer-in-training certification.

What this means if you’re hiring

Price against the state and Charlotte, not just the metro. Greenville’s median is $34,750 below the state’s and $30,550 below Charlotte’s, so candidates from those markets will expect more.
Expect mechanical crossovers. Mechanical engineers earn a median only $710 below aerospace engineers in Greenville, so the two pools overlap.
Plan around new plants. Woodward opens in summer 2027 and will compete for actuation, test and quality engineers.
Price senior roles at the 75th percentile. Plan on $133,600 or more, and note that Charlotte’s 90th percentile is $49,890 higher than Greenville’s.

Need aerospace engineers in Greenville-Spartanburg?

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

Call 803.832.4646 or see our Greenville engineering recruiters and Spartanburg engineering recruiters pages.

Hire aerospace engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do aerospace engineers make in Greenville-Spartanburg?

The median aerospace engineer salary in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer metro is $102,280 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $94,070 and $133,600, and the top 10% earn $162,730 or more. BLS does not publish a Spartanburg figure.

Do aerospace engineers earn more in Greenville-Spartanburg or Charlotte?

Charlotte. Its median is $132,830, against $102,280 in Greenville, and its 90th percentile is $212,620 against $162,730. See our Charlotte aerospace engineer talent map.

Who hires aerospace engineers in Greenville-Spartanburg?

Defense and aircraft makers such as Lockheed Martin, engine makers such as GE Aerospace, flight control suppliers such as Woodward, and aviation employers such as Honeywell, Stevens Aviation and GSP airport.

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