Aerospace & Defense Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California

California leads the nation in aerospace and defense innovation, with major contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon maintaining significant operations across the state. From Los Angeles County's Space Coast to Silicon Valley's defense tech startups, California offers extensive visa sponsorship opportunities for international professionals in engineering, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing roles.

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Overview

Open Jobs1,239+
Top Visa TypeH-1B
Work Type90% On-site
Salary Range$98K – $137K
Top LocationMarina, CA
Most JobsJoby Aviation

Showing 5 of 1,239+ aerospace & defense visa sponsorship jobs in california jobs

Gulfstream Aerospace
Lead Avionics/Electrical Technician
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Gulfstream Aerospace
New 12h ago
Lead Avionics/Electrical Technician
Gulfstream Aerospace
Van Nuys, California
Specialized Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Aerospace Engineering
$46/hr - $53/hr
On-Site
8+ yrs exp.
High School
10,000+

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archer
Principal Platform Architect
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archer
New 12h ago
Principal Platform Architect
archer
San Jose, California
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Cloud & DevOps
Backend Engineering
Technical Program Management
$273,000/yr
On-Site
15+ yrs exp.
None
5,001-10,000

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Skydio
Technical FP&A Analyst
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Skydio
Added 1d ago
Technical FP&A Analyst
Skydio
San Mateo, California
Finance
Accounting
Business Analysis
Project & Program Management
Data Science & Analytics
$120,000/yr - $150,000/yr
On-Site
2+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's

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Shield AI
Lead Program Financial Analyst
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Shield AI
Added 1d ago
Lead Program Financial Analyst
Shield AI
San Diego, California
Business Analysis
Project & Program Management
Finance
Accounting
Project Management
Tax
$110,000/yr - $165,000/yr
On-Site
5+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's
11-50

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Curtiss-Wright Corporation
QA Engineer
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Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Added 2d ago
QA Engineer
Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Brea, California
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
$74,100 - $90,000
On-Site
1+ yr exp.
Bachelor's

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Job Roles in Aerospace & Defense in California

Engineering (Non-Software)375 jobs
Specialized Engineering330 jobs
Manufacturing Operations269 jobs
Quality Control243 jobs
Project & Program Management205 jobs
Project Management169 jobs
Software Engineering168 jobs
Mechanical Engineering150 jobs
Electrical Engineering143 jobs
Manufacturing Engineering130 jobs

See all 1,239+ Aerospace & Defense California jobs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which aerospace and defense companies sponsor visas in California?

Major sponsors include Boeing (El Segundo, Huntington Beach), Lockheed Martin (Palmdale, Sunnyvale), Northrop Grumman (Redondo Beach, El Segundo), Raytheon (El Segundo), SpaceX (Hawthorne), and Aerojet Rocketdyne (Sacramento). Defense tech companies like Palantir, Anduril, and Shield AI also actively sponsor H-1B and other work visas for engineering and technical roles across California's aerospace hubs.

What visa types are most common for aerospace and defense jobs in California?

H-1B visas dominate for engineering roles (aerospace, software, systems), while O-1 visas are used for senior scientists and researchers with advanced degrees. L-1 visas are common for international transfers within multinational defense contractors. E-3 visas serve Australian engineers, and TN visas are available for Canadian and Mexican nationals in qualifying engineering positions.

Which California cities have the most aerospace and defense sponsorship opportunities?

Los Angeles County leads with El Segundo, Redondo Beach, and Hawthorne hosting major contractors and SpaceX. Orange County (Huntington Beach, Irvine) offers significant opportunities, followed by San Diego's defense corridor, Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, Palo Alto) for defense tech, and the Antelope Valley (Palmdale, Lancaster) for aircraft manufacturing and testing facilities.

How to find aerospace & defense visa sponsorship jobs in California?

Browse Migrate Mate for California aerospace and defense positions specifically tagged for visa sponsorship. Focus on companies with active government contracts, as they typically have established sponsorship processes. Target roles in ITAR-exempt areas initially, as security clearance requirements can limit sponsorship options for non-citizens in classified defense programs.

Are there special considerations for aerospace and defense sponsorship in California?

California's high prevailing wages benefit H-1B applications, particularly in Los Angeles and San Francisco metro areas. Many positions require U.S. citizenship for security clearances, limiting sponsored roles to ITAR-exempt commercial aerospace work. Strong partnerships between companies and universities like Caltech, USC, and Stanford create pathways from F-1 OPT to H-1B sponsorship.

What is the prevailing wage for sponsored aerospace & defense jobs in California?

U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.

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