Airframe Design Engineer Salary in the United States
How much does an Airframe Design Engineer make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for an Airframe Design Engineer in the United States is $90,549 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.
However, an Airframe Design Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $108,801
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $82,043 to $100,103
Key Factors That Influence Airframe Design Engineer Salaries
An Airframe Design Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Airframe Design Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Airframe Design Engineer's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $88,541
Early Career (1-2 years): $88,777
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,913
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $96,239
Expert (over 8 years): $96,549
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Airframe Design Engineer
$88,541
Intermediate Level Airframe Design Engineer
$88,777
Senior Level Airframe Design Engineer
$91,913
Specialist Level Airframe Design Engineer
$96,239
Expert Level Airframe Design Engineer
$96,549
$88,5410 yr
$88,777< 2 yrs
$91,9132-4 yrs
$96,2395-8 yrs
$96,549> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Airframe Design Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Airframe Design Engineers.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $100,256.
California: $99,876.
Massachusetts: $98,545.
District of Columbia$100,256
California$99,876
Massachusetts$98,545
Washington$98,183
New Jersey$98,146
Alaska$98,020
Connecticut$96,770
New York$96,263
Hawaii$94,642
Rhode Island$93,882
Maryland$93,365
Minnesota$92,659
Colorado$92,388
Illinois$92,297
Oregon$91,953
Delaware$91,699
New Hampshire$91,540
Virginia$91,183
Pennsylvania$90,142
Nevada$89,617
North Dakota$89,445
Michigan$89,173
Wisconsin$89,073
Vermont$88,874
Texas$88,322
Maine$88,286
Arizona$88,231
Ohio$88,168
Georgia$87,335
Indiana$86,918
Wyoming$86,837
Utah$86,710
Iowa$86,656
Kansas$86,221
Louisiana$86,094
North Carolina$86,049
Missouri$86,031
Florida$85,678
Montana$85,488
Nebraska$85,307
Kentucky$85,207
South Carolina$84,845
Tennessee$84,618
Idaho$84,528
New Mexico$83,867
Oklahoma$83,722
Alabama$83,188
South Dakota$82,291
Arkansas$81,802
West Virginia$81,540
Mississippi$80,752
Top Paying Cities for Airframe Design Engineers
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $114,210
San Francisco: $112,959
Oakland: $110,579
San Jose, CA$114,210
San Francisco, CA$112,959
Oakland, CA$110,579
New York, NY$104,258
Paramus, NJ$102,990
Queens Village, NY$102,985
Passaic, NJ$102,899
Bergenfield, NJ$102,891
Stamford, CT$102,692
Huntington, NY$102,655
Newark, NJ$101,986
Bridgeport, CT$101,795
Vallejo, CA$101,615
New Brunswick, NJ$101,578
Petaluma, CA$101,524
Middlesex, NJ$101,352
Somerset, NJ$101,289
Santa Cruz, CA$101,171
Boston, MA$100,618
Monterey, CA$100,301
Seattle, WA$100,093
Santa Rosa, CA$100,075
Los Angeles, CA$100,048
Juneau, AK$99,813
Washington, DC$99,713
Orange, CA$99,391
Santa Ana, CA$99,152
Long Beach, CA$99,061
Anaheim, CA$99,043
Anchorage, AK$98,998
Santa Maria, CA$98,726
Everett, WA$98,708
Danbury, CT$98,389
Bremerton, WA$98,264
Tacoma, WA$97,938
New Suffolk, NY$97,936
Sacramento, CA$97,911
Santa Barbara, CA$97,811
Trenton, NJ$97,712
San Diego, CA$97,712
Brockton, MA$97,612
Fairbanks, AK$97,390
Lompoc, CA$97,160
Lowell, MA$97,086
Ventura, CA$97,069
Nashua, NH$97,051
Stockton, CA$97,042
Modesto, CA$96,381
Poughkeepsie, NY$96,182
Olympia, WA$96,010
Kennewick, WA$96,010
New Haven, CT$95,973
Lawrence, MA$95,647
Hartford, CT$95,557
Riverside, CA$95,539
New Bedford, MA$95,448
Richland, WA$95,448
Bakersfield, CA$95,321
San Bernardino, CA$95,285
New Britain, CT$95,276
Atlantic City, NJ$95,276
New London, CT$95,240
Norwich, CT$95,213
Portsmouth, NH$95,195
Boulder, CO$95,003
Portland, OR$94,878
Worcester, MA$94,869
Minneapolis, MN$94,588
Philadelphia, PA$94,461
Honolulu, HI$94,162
Saint Paul, MN$94,119
Vineland, NJ$94,099
Providence, RI$93,836
Chicago, IL$93,574
Bellingham, WA$93,465
Springfield, MA$93,393
Baltimore, MD$93,365
Chico, CA$93,139
Pittsfield, MA$92,895
Manchester, NH$92,723
Spokane, WA$92,324
Denver, CO$92,315
Albany, NY$91,890
Troy, NY$91,853
Nassau, NY$91,756
Schenectady, NY$91,663
Wilmington, DE$91,591
Burlington, VT$91,464
Salem, OR$91,428
Portland, ME$91,147
Yakima, WA$91,056
Rochester, MN$90,776
Reno, NV$90,730
Fresno, CA$90,730
Milwaukee, WI$90,649
Detroit, MI$90,558
Ann Arbor, MI$90,543
Allentown, PA$90,531
Colorado Springs, CO$90,377
Syracuse, NY$90,332
Carson City, NV$90,332
Houston, TX$90,205
Eugene, OR$90,160
Gary, IN$90,051
Springfield, OR$89,979
Bismarck, ND$89,961
Galveston, TX$89,897
Medford, OR$89,762
Fort Collins, CO$89,725
Concord, NH$89,680
Austin, TX$89,653
Mesa, AZ$89,463
Reading, PA$89,454
Phoenix, AZ$89,445
Dallas, TX$89,418
Saint Cloud, MN$89,331
Madison, WI$89,209
Utica, NY$88,965
Rochester, NY$88,820
Des Moines, IA$88,811
Raleigh, NC$88,802
Atlanta, GA$88,666
Battle Creek, MI$88,639
Salt Lake City, UT$88,612
Lancaster, PA$88,476
Harrisburg, PA$88,349
Kansas City, MO$88,259
Champaign, IL$88,240
Kansas City, KS$88,240
Fort Worth, TX$88,231
Columbus, OH$88,216
Boca Raton, FL$88,195
Pittsburgh, PA$88,159
Richmond, VA$88,123
Indianapolis, IN$88,105
Cleveland, OH$88,096
Las Vegas, NV$87,987
Cincinnati, OH$87,987
Petersburg, VA$87,851
Huntsville, AL$87,715
Lansing, MI$87,655
Lebanon, PA$87,643
Pueblo, CO$87,634
Appleton, WI$87,607
Buffalo, NY$87,570
Dayton, OH$87,543
Racine, WI$87,525
Charlotte, NC$87,516
Saint Louis, MO$87,489
York, PA$87,435
Elkhart, IN$87,435
Gastonia, NC$87,417
Billings, MT$87,396
Beaumont, TX$87,371
Lorain, OH$87,353
Benton Harbor, MI$87,335
Toledo, OH$87,317
Binghamton, NY$87,272
Rock Hill, SC$87,262
Rockford, IL$87,217
Springfield, IL$87,181
Elyria, OH$87,172
Fargo, ND$87,172
Flagstaff, AZ$87,109
Fort Lauderdale, FL$87,054
Duluth, MN$87,000
Miami, FL$87,000
Cheyenne, WY$86,936
Grand Forks, ND$86,936
Bangor, ME$86,737
Cedar Rapids, IA$86,638
Durham, NC$86,600
Louisville, KY$86,592
Grand Rapids, MI$86,574
Hialeah, FL$86,565
Casper, WY$86,438
Scranton, PA$86,330
New Orleans, LA$86,303
Virginia Beach, VA$86,294
Akron, OH$86,248
Peoria, IL$86,131
Sarasota, FL$86,112
Nashville, TN$86,049
Omaha, NE$86,049
Green Bay, WI$86,049
Baton Rouge, LA$86,004
Charleston, SC$85,986
Jamestown, NY$85,940
Davenport, IA$85,940
Tucson, AZ$85,895
Saint Petersburg, FL$85,841
Tampa, FL$85,823
Evansville, IN$85,768
Port Arthur, TX$85,768
Bradenton, FL$85,732
Santa Fe, NM$85,569
Orlando, FL$85,406
Clearwater, FL$85,379
Canton, OH$85,189
La Crosse, WI$85,189
Albuquerque, NM$85,135
Newport News, VA$85,125
High Point, NC$85,098
Ogden, UT$85,062
Corpus Christi, TX$84,990
Norfolk, VA$84,935
Laramie, WY$84,935
Rock Island, IL$84,881
Saginaw, MI$84,863
Jacksonville, FL$84,854
Salisbury, NC$84,836
Boise, ID$84,818
Moline, IL$84,772
Fort Myers, FL$84,745
Memphis, TN$84,727
Tulsa, OK$84,682
Waterloo, IA$84,627
Spartanburg, SC$84,537
Lincoln, NE$84,492
Fort Wayne, IN$84,474
Provo, UT$84,464
Cedar Falls, IA$84,356
San Antonio, TX$84,320
Greensboro, NC$84,283
South Bend, IN$84,274
Savannah, GA$84,175
Muskegon, MI$84,139
Birmingham, AL$84,129
Winston Salem, NC$84,085
Lake Charles, LA$83,867
Anderson, IN$83,849
Lexington, KY$83,822
Augusta, GA$83,794
Greenville, SC$83,794
Lima, OH$83,722
Wichita, KS$83,713
Tuscaloosa, AL$83,713
Columbia, SC$83,631
Springfield, OH$83,613
Asheville, NC$83,468
Bloomington, IN$83,405
Knoxville, TN$83,079
Shreveport, LA$83,070
Wilmington, NC$82,952
Roanoke, VA$82,952
Topeka, KS$82,789
Frankfort, KY$82,779
Oklahoma City, OK$82,717
Chillicothe, OH$82,681
Longview, TX$82,672
Melbourne, FL$82,663
Sioux Falls, SD$82,518
Mobile, AL$82,509
Terre Haute, IN$82,472
Altoona, PA$82,418
Amarillo, TX$82,355
Killeen, TX$82,328
Fayetteville, AR$82,255
Chattanooga, TN$82,228
Sioux City, IA$82,146
Idaho Falls, ID$82,128
Lynchburg, VA$82,056
Gainesville, FL$81,938
Portsmouth, OH$81,893
Little Rock, AR$81,875
Lafayette, LA$81,839
Youngstown, OH$81,839
Daytona Beach, FL$81,784
Clarksville, TN$81,775
Pensacola, FL$81,766
Temple, TX$81,760
Hopkinsville, KY$81,494
Erie, PA$81,476
Florence, SC$81,440
Charleston, WV$81,295
Great Falls, MT$81,250
Macon, GA$81,123
Tallahassee, FL$81,114
Fayetteville, NC$81,096
Waco, TX$81,078
Helena, MT$81,015
Pine Bluff, AR$80,980
Vincennes, IN$80,870
Lubbock, TX$80,833
Alamogordo, NM$80,779
Twin Falls, ID$80,698
Rapid City, SD$80,670
Jackson, MS$80,507
Huntington, WV$80,501
Greenville, MS$80,498
Parkersburg, WV$80,406
Montgomery, AL$80,390
Wichita Falls, TX$80,299
Springfield, MO$80,299
Biloxi, MS$80,254
Monroe, LA$80,163
Johnstown, PA$80,100
Sumter, SC$80,064
Columbus, GA$80,055
Pascagoula, MS$79,883
Abilene, TX$79,883
Kingsport, TN$79,647
Albany, GA$79,647
Gulfport, MS$79,620
Alexandria, LA$79,321
Fort Smith, AR$79,095
El Paso, TX$78,850
Las Cruces, NM$78,443
Harlingen, TX$78,213
Pocatello, ID$78,198
Florence, AL$78,081
Brownsville, TX$78,063
Mcallen, TX$77,872
Dothan, AL$77,746
Columbus, MS$77,208
Altus, OK$76,786
Lawton, OK$76,614
Pierre, SD$76,288
What Skills Can Increase an Airframe Design Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Planning (Mentioned in 5.95% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Acute Care (Mentioned in 5.49% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
Nursing Practice (Mentioned in 2.93% Job Postings): Nursing practice may be work experience that is direct and/or indirect patient care in clinical practice, nursing administration, education, research, or consultation in the specialty represented by the credential.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Planning
5.95%
Acute Care
5.49%
Nursing Practice
2.93%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Airframe Design Engineer's salary.
Telecommunications: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Telecommunications
$99,604
10%
Staff Development
$96,888
7%
Written Communication
$95,982
6%
Risk Management
$95,982
6%
Verbal Communication
$95,077
5%
Oral Communication
$95,077
5%
Get Latest Data
Airframe Design Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Airframe Design Engineer roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Airframe Design Engineer positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Airframe Design Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for an Airframe Design Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$108,659
$52.0
20%
How Education impacts an Airframe Design Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Airframe Design Engineers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for an Airframe Design Engineer with a Associate's Degree is between
$82,257
and $86,847).
Understanding how an Airframe Design Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$82,043
Average$90,549/year
$100,103
$6,837
Average$7,546/month
$8,342
$1,578
Average$1,741/week
$1,925
$39
Average$44/hour
$48
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$100,103
$8,342
$1,925
$48
Average
$90,549
$7,546
$1,741
$44
25th Percentile
$82,043
$6,837
$1,578
$39
Salaries of jobs related to Airframe Design Engineer
Salaries for an Airframe Design Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $210,173 in 2023
to around $204,421 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Airframe Design Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Airframe Design Engineer Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$210,173
2024
$212,430
2025
$204,421
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$210,173
2024
$212,430
2025
$204,421
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Airframe Design Engineer
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Common company salaries for Airframe Design Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Airframe Design Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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