216 OPEN
SALARIES · AVIONICS ENGINEER
Avionics Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for avionics engineer roles in space. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$195,000 – $250,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$145K
[ SENIOR ]
$195K
[ STAFF ]
$250K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$315K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01RHead of Avionics ManufacturingRelativity Space·Long Beach, California, United States$223K–$335K
- 02LDirector of Embedded Software & FPGA EngineeringLoft Orbital·Golden, CO$195K–$275K
- 03VAvionics Design Reliability EngineerVast·Long Beach, California, United States$162K–$265K
- 04VSenior Mechanical Design Engineer, AvionicsVast·Long Beach, California, United States$138K–$265K
- 05VFPGA ManagerVoyager Technologies·San Diego, CA$165K–$265K
- 06TStaff Electrical Engineer, FPGA DevelopmentTrue Anomaly·Long Beach, CA$175K–$265K
- 07RStaff Avionics Hardware EngineerRelativity Space·Long Beach, California, United States$175K–$263K
- 08VPrincipal Avionics Hardware Development EngineerVarda Space·El Segundo, California, United States$182K–$263K
- 09VSenior Manager, Avionics and Power SystemsVast·Long Beach, California, United States$161K–$262K
- 10
Staff Flight Avionics SpecialistAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K–$253K
§ 03Top employers hiring avionics engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | 39 | $138K |
| Relativity Space | 23 | $185K |
| Rocket Lab | 22 | $135K |
| K2 Space | 21 | $158K |
| Vast | 19 | $169K |
| Astranis | 16 | $180K |
| Varda Space | 12 | $142K |
| Inversion Space | 12 | $165K |
§ 04Top cities hiring avionics engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | 59 | $174K |
| Hawthorne | 26 | $138K |
| Los Angeles | 17 | $138K |
| San Francisco | 16 | $180K |
| El Segundo | 12 | $142K |
| Playa Vista | 12 | $165K |
| Costa Mesa | 10 | $170K |
| Starbase | 10 | — |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do avionics engineers make in the space industry?
- Senior avionics engineers in the space industry typically earn $195K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $250K and principal-level reach $315K. Numbers are median base salary across 156 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private space companies.
- Who is hiring the most avionics engineers right now?
- SpaceX (39 open roles), Relativity Space (23 open roles), and Rocket Lab (22 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 216 open avionics engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most avionics engineer jobs located?
- The top space industry hubs for avionics engineer roles right now are Long Beach, Hawthorne, and Los Angeles. Defense space tends to concentrate in DC/Northern Virginia and Colorado Springs (clearance-required roles), while commercial launch is heaviest in LA basin and Florida's Space Coast.
- Do avionics engineer roles in space require security clearance?
- Many do. Defense space programs at Anduril, Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space, and the US Space Force require Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Commercial-space roles at SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Vast, and Astranis generally do not, though some specific government contracts may. ITAR registration is more common than clearance — most rocket roles require it.
§ 06See all open roles
Browse every avionics engineer role