Quick answer: California employs about 9,170 aerospace engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through your state engineering licensing board. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Aerospace engineering sits on the standard Professional Engineer path the state boards administer: an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience and the PE exam. In practice the license is required less often here than in civil work, because most aerospace engineers are employed by manufacturers and defense contractors under what is commonly called the industrial exemption. Clearance eligibility affects hiring more than licensure does.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state engineering licensing board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 204 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Aerospace Engineers in California earn a median $157,620 per year, above the national median of $134,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | California | National | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $157,620 | $134,960 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 10th percentile | $104,370 | $86,700 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 25th percentile | $129,010 | $106,110 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 75th percentile | $193,060 | $169,690 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 90th percentile | $220,670 | $205,890 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Employment | 9,170 | 67,710 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Location quotient | 1.16 | 1.00 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected change (2024-34) | not published by state | 6.1% | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
The California median of $157,620 sits above the national median of $134,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.16 puts California well above the national average, so the work is noticeably more common here than in the typical state. That usually means a deeper job market and more room to change employers without relocating (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $191,260 | 510 |
| San Jose | $181,630 | 930 |
| Los Angeles | $163,280 | 5,200 |
| San Luis Obispo | $135,490 | 40 |
| San Diego | $135,010 | 800 |
| Sacramento | $132,230 | 200 |
| Santa Maria | $130,870 | 100 |
| Riverside | $129,530 | 120 |
| Bakersfield | $128,720 | 700 |
| Oxnard | $128,670 | 110 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Aerospace employment is unusually concentrated, clustering around aircraft and spacecraft manufacturing, federal facilities and defense contractors rather than spreading with population.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), aerospace engineers wages in California vary by metro area.
| Metro Area | Employment | Median Annual Wage | Avg. Annual Wage | Entry Level (10th pctile) | Experienced (90th pctile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 5,200 | $163,280 | $161,520 | $108,330 | $227,440 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | 930 | $181,630 | $181,690 | $127,490 | $254,880 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 800 | $135,010 | $144,280 | $96,650 | $209,080 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | 700 | $128,720 | $134,930 | $93,230 | $188,720 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | 510 | $191,260 | $183,920 | $117,060 | $273,230 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | 200 | $132,230 | $144,960 | $79,860 | $203,040 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 120 | $129,530 | $141,070 | $89,540 | $212,630 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | 110 | $128,670 | $133,000 | $77,880 | $195,190 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | 100 | $130,870 | $137,690 | $85,540 | $194,360 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | 40 | $135,490 | $143,350 | $103,170 | $205,000 |
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Bakersfield * Los Angeles * Oxnard * Riverside * Sacramento * San Diego * San Francisco * San Jose * Santa Maria
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for aerospace engineers in California is $157,620, above the national median of $134,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $129,010 at the 25th percentile to $193,060 at the 75th.
California holds about 9,170 aerospace engineer jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 67,710, and BLS projects about 4,500 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Aerospace engineering sits on the standard Professional Engineer path the state boards administer: an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience and the PE exam. In practice the license is required less often here than in civil work, because most aerospace engineers are employed by manufacturers and defense contractors under what is commonly called the industrial exemption. Clearance eligibility affects hiring more than licensure does. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state engineering licensing board before you enroll in any program.
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state engineering licensing board.
Among California metro areas with published data, San Francisco reports the highest median at $191,260 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
On pay, the state median of $157,620 sits above the national $134,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.16 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
