Prevailing Wage for Aerospace Engineers
Prevailing wage for Aerospace Engineers, the official DOL occupation title under SOC 17-2011, sets the minimum salary a U.S. employer must offer to sponsor an H-1B, E-3, or green card for this role. Whether your offer is for an Aeronautical Engineer, an Aerospace Stress Engineer, or an Avionics Engineer position, DOL sets four experience-based wage levels and the floor varies significantly by worksite city.
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Entry-level professionals with a bachelor's degree and limited independent experience. Work is closely supervised, routine in scope, and does not yet involve complex design decisions or independent project ownership typical of more senior aerospace engineering roles.
Qualified professionals with moderate experience who apply standard engineering methods with some independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Aerospace Engineers, reflecting mid-career hires who handle defined project components without needing constant direction.
Experienced engineers who exercise considerable judgment, lead technical workstreams, and contribute to design decisions. Typically involves specialization in areas such as flight controls, propulsion, or structural analysis with a track record of successful project delivery.
Fully competent senior or lead engineers who set technical direction, mentor others, and are recognized authorities in their specialty. Scope typically spans system-level decisions, cross-functional leadership, or principal-level independent research and design.
Prevailing Wage for Aerospace Engineers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Aerospace Engineers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch how defense contractors title your role
Aerospace engineering positions at defense contractors are sometimes filed under broader engineering SOC codes rather than SOC 17-2011, which can mean a different prevailing wage floor. Confirm your LCA lists the Aerospace Engineers SOC before accepting a sponsored offer.
Account for clearance premiums missing from base pay
Security clearance premiums, hazard pay, and project bonuses are common in aerospace but excluded from the prevailing wage base salary calculation. The floor must be met by guaranteed annual wages, not total compensation including variable elements.
Compare metros using the aerospace employment concentration
The wage gap between top and bottom metros for this occupation is among the widest of any engineering role. Markets with dense aerospace employer clusters like the Seattle and Los Angeles metro areas set significantly higher floors than regions with fewer active employers.
Use Migrate Mate to find active aerospace sponsors
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historical visa sponsorship counts for engineering roles, letting you identify companies that have sponsored Aerospace Engineers or Avionics Engineers before and filter by location, visa type, and salary range from the posting.
Jobs for Aerospace Engineers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Aerospace EngineersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 17-2011.00 alongside Aerospace Engineers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Aeronautical Engineer Prevailing Wage
Aeronautical Engineer Prevailing Wage
Aeronautical Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Aerospace Stress Engineer Prevailing Wage
Aerospace Stress Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Aerospace Stress Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Avionics Engineer Prevailing Wage
Avionics Engineer Prevailing Wage
Avionics Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Design Engineer Prevailing Wage
Design Engineer Prevailing Wage
Design Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Flight Controls Engineer Prevailing Wage
Flight Controls Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Flight Controls Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Flight Test Engineer Prevailing Wage
Flight Test Engineer Prevailing Wage
Flight Test Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Structural Analysis Engineer Prevailing Wage
Structural Analysis Engineer Prevailing Wage
Structural Analysis Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Systems Engineer Prevailing Wage
Systems Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Systems Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Test Engineer Prevailing Wage
Test Engineer Prevailing Wage
Test Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2011.00 (Aerospace Engineers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Aerospace Engineers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and state workforce agencies. For SOC 17-2011, OFLC calculates four wage levels by applying percentage adjustments to the regional median. Employers must request a prevailing wage determination through OFLC before certifying a Labor Condition Application for any sponsored hire.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level work under close supervision; Level 2 applies to qualified professionals who work with moderate independence; Level 3 covers experienced engineers with specialization and judgment; Level 4 applies to senior or principal engineers who set technical direction. Your level is determined by the actual duties, supervision received, and complexity of the role as described in the LCA, not by your job title alone.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same aerospace engineering role differ so much by city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions. The LCA worksite rule means the wage that applies is the one for the city where you physically work, not where the employer is headquartered. Metro areas with concentrated aerospace employers and high demand, such as the San Jose and San Francisco areas, produce significantly higher survey medians than regions with fewer active employers.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with an offered wage below the DOL prevailing wage floor. If the offer falls short, the employer must either raise the salary before filing or the LCA will be denied by OFLC. A certified LCA is a prerequisite for filing the H-1B or E-3 petition, so USCIS will not receive a petition for a below-floor offer. Accepting an offer below the floor does not affect your existing status, but sponsorship cannot proceed until wages are corrected.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an aerospace engineering role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the current prevailing wage by SOC code 17-2011 and the specific metropolitan area where you would work. Select the relevant wage level based on the job duties and experience required. You can also cross-reference BLS wage data for the region and check recent LCA disclosure files that OFLC publishes quarterly. Migrate Mate lists aerospace and engineering roles from employers with documented sponsorship history, filtered by location and visa type, so you can compare postings against the floor for your target city.
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