293 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
- 01
Director of AvionicsBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$203K–$284K - 02Embedded Software & Firmware Technical Program Manager - Core AvionicsBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$198K–$277K
- 03Sr. Embedded Software Engineer - New Glenn AvionicsBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$182K–$277K
- 04Senior Avionics Software Engineer (Engines)Blue Origin·Huntsville, AL$198K–$277K
- 05VSenior Mechanical Design Engineer, AvionicsVast·Long Beach, California, United States$138K–$265K
- 06VAvionics Design Reliability EngineerVast·Long Beach, California, United States$162K–$265K
- 07TStaff Electrical Engineer, FPGA DevelopmentTrue Anomaly·Long Beach, CA$175K–$265K
- 08RStaff Avionics Hardware EngineerRelativity Space·Long Beach, California$175K–$263K
- 09VPrincipal Avionics Hardware Development EngineerVarda Space·El Segundo, California, United States$200K–$260K
- 10Senior Manager - TeraWave Avionics PlatformBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$184K–$257K
§ 03Top employers hiring avionics engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Origin | 117 | $157K |
| SpaceX | 31 | $128K |
| Rocket Lab | 27 | $128K |
| Relativity Space | 25 | $185K |
| K2 Space | 16 | $173K |
| Vast | 12 | $169K |
| Inversion Space | 9 | $165K |
| Varda Space | 9 | $169K |
§ 04Top cities hiring avionics engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Seattle Area | 99 | $157K |
| Long Beach | 52 | $165K |
| Hawthorne | 18 | $128K |
| Los Angeles | 13 | $158K |
| Auckland | 12 | — |
| Starbase | 11 | — |
| Playa Vista | 9 | $165K |
| El Segundo | 9 | $169K |
§ 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?
- Blue Origin (117 open roles), SpaceX (31 open roles), and Rocket Lab (27 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 293 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 Greater Seattle Area, Long Beach, and Hawthorne. 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