Propulsion Design Engineer Salary in the United States
How much does a Propulsion Design Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Propulsion Design Engineer in the United States is $92,355 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.
However, a Propulsion Design Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $104,658
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $84,557 to $98,795
Key Factors That Influence Propulsion Design Engineer Salaries
A Propulsion 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 Propulsion Design Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Propulsion 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:
How Do Propulsion 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 Propulsion Design Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $102,256.
California: $101,868.
Massachusetts: $100,510.
District of Columbia$102,256
California$101,868
Massachusetts$100,510
Washington$100,141
New Jersey$100,104
Alaska$99,975
Connecticut$98,700
New York$98,183
Hawaii$96,530
Rhode Island$95,754
Maryland$95,228
Minnesota$94,507
Colorado$94,230
Illinois$94,138
Oregon$93,787
Delaware$93,528
New Hampshire$93,366
Virginia$93,002
Pennsylvania$91,940
Nevada$91,404
North Dakota$91,229
Michigan$90,951
Wisconsin$90,850
Vermont$90,647
Texas$90,083
Maine$90,046
Arizona$89,991
Ohio$89,926
Georgia$89,077
Indiana$88,652
Wyoming$88,569
Utah$88,439
Iowa$88,384
Kansas$87,941
Louisiana$87,811
North Carolina$87,765
Missouri$87,747
Florida$87,387
Montana$87,193
Nebraska$87,008
Kentucky$86,906
South Carolina$86,537
Tennessee$86,306
Idaho$86,214
New Mexico$85,539
Oklahoma$85,392
Alabama$84,847
South Dakota$83,932
Arkansas$83,434
West Virginia$83,166
Mississippi$82,362
Top Paying Cities for Propulsion 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: $116,488
San Francisco: $115,212
Oakland: $112,784
San Jose, CA$116,488
San Francisco, CA$115,212
Oakland, CA$112,784
New York, NY$106,337
Paramus, NJ$105,044
Queens Village, NY$105,039
Passaic, NJ$104,952
Bergenfield, NJ$104,943
Stamford, CT$104,740
Huntington, NY$104,702
Newark, NJ$104,020
Bridgeport, CT$103,825
Vallejo, CA$103,641
New Brunswick, NJ$103,604
Petaluma, CA$103,549
Middlesex, NJ$103,373
Somerset, NJ$103,309
Santa Cruz, CA$103,189
Boston, MA$102,625
Monterey, CA$102,301
Seattle, WA$102,090
Santa Rosa, CA$102,071
Los Angeles, CA$102,043
Juneau, AK$101,803
Washington, DC$101,702
Orange, CA$101,373
Santa Ana, CA$101,129
Long Beach, CA$101,037
Anaheim, CA$101,018
Anchorage, AK$100,972
Santa Maria, CA$100,695
Everett, WA$100,677
Danbury, CT$100,351
Bremerton, WA$100,224
Tacoma, WA$99,891
New Suffolk, NY$99,890
Sacramento, CA$99,864
Santa Barbara, CA$99,762
Trenton, NJ$99,661
San Diego, CA$99,661
Brockton, MA$99,559
Fairbanks, AK$99,333
Lompoc, CA$99,097
Lowell, MA$99,022
Ventura, CA$99,005
Nashua, NH$98,986
Stockton, CA$98,977
Modesto, CA$98,303
Poughkeepsie, NY$98,100
Olympia, WA$97,924
Kennewick, WA$97,924
New Haven, CT$97,887
Lawrence, MA$97,555
Hartford, CT$97,463
Riverside, CA$97,444
New Bedford, MA$97,352
Richland, WA$97,352
Bakersfield, CA$97,222
San Bernardino, CA$97,185
New Britain, CT$97,176
Atlantic City, NJ$97,176
New London, CT$97,139
Norwich, CT$97,112
Portsmouth, NH$97,093
Boulder, CO$96,897
Portland, OR$96,770
Worcester, MA$96,761
Minneapolis, MN$96,474
Philadelphia, PA$96,345
Honolulu, HI$96,040
Saint Paul, MN$95,996
Vineland, NJ$95,976
Providence, RI$95,708
Chicago, IL$95,440
Bellingham, WA$95,329
Springfield, MA$95,255
Baltimore, MD$95,228
Chico, CA$94,997
Pittsfield, MA$94,747
Manchester, NH$94,572
Spokane, WA$94,165
Denver, CO$94,156
Albany, NY$93,722
Troy, NY$93,685
Nassau, NY$93,586
Schenectady, NY$93,491
Wilmington, DE$93,417
Burlington, VT$93,288
Salem, OR$93,251
Portland, ME$92,965
Yakima, WA$92,872
Rochester, MN$92,586
Reno, NV$92,540
Fresno, CA$92,540
Milwaukee, WI$92,457
Detroit, MI$92,365
Ann Arbor, MI$92,349
Allentown, PA$92,337
Colorado Springs, CO$92,180
Syracuse, NY$92,134
Carson City, NV$92,134
Houston, TX$92,004
Eugene, OR$91,958
Gary, IN$91,847
Springfield, OR$91,773
Bismarck, ND$91,755
Galveston, TX$91,690
Medford, OR$91,552
Fort Collins, CO$91,515
Concord, NH$91,469
Austin, TX$91,441
Mesa, AZ$91,247
Reading, PA$91,238
Phoenix, AZ$91,229
Dallas, TX$91,201
Saint Cloud, MN$91,112
Madison, WI$90,988
Utica, NY$90,739
Rochester, NY$90,591
Des Moines, IA$90,582
Raleigh, NC$90,573
Atlanta, GA$90,434
Battle Creek, MI$90,407
Salt Lake City, UT$90,379
Lancaster, PA$90,240
Harrisburg, PA$90,111
Kansas City, MO$90,019
Champaign, IL$90,000
Kansas City, KS$90,000
Fort Worth, TX$89,991
Columbus, OH$89,975
Boca Raton, FL$89,954
Pittsburgh, PA$89,917
Richmond, VA$89,880
Indianapolis, IN$89,862
Cleveland, OH$89,852
Las Vegas, NV$89,742
Cincinnati, OH$89,742
Petersburg, VA$89,603
Huntsville, AL$89,465
Lansing, MI$89,403
Lebanon, PA$89,391
Pueblo, CO$89,381
Appleton, WI$89,354
Buffalo, NY$89,317
Dayton, OH$89,289
Racine, WI$89,271
Charlotte, NC$89,261
Saint Louis, MO$89,234
York, PA$89,178
Elkhart, IN$89,178
Gastonia, NC$89,161
Billings, MT$89,139
Beaumont, TX$89,114
Lorain, OH$89,095
Benton Harbor, MI$89,077
Toledo, OH$89,058
Binghamton, NY$89,012
Rock Hill, SC$89,003
Rockford, IL$88,957
Springfield, IL$88,920
Elyria, OH$88,910
Fargo, ND$88,910
Flagstaff, AZ$88,846
Fort Lauderdale, FL$88,790
Duluth, MN$88,735
Miami, FL$88,735
Cheyenne, WY$88,670
Grand Forks, ND$88,670
Bangor, ME$88,467
Cedar Rapids, IA$88,366
Durham, NC$88,327
Louisville, KY$88,319
Grand Rapids, MI$88,301
Hialeah, FL$88,292
Casper, WY$88,162
Scranton, PA$88,052
New Orleans, LA$88,024
Virginia Beach, VA$88,015
Akron, OH$87,968
Peoria, IL$87,848
Sarasota, FL$87,830
Nashville, TN$87,765
Omaha, NE$87,765
Green Bay, WI$87,765
Baton Rouge, LA$87,719
Charleston, SC$87,701
Jamestown, NY$87,654
Davenport, IA$87,654
Tucson, AZ$87,608
Saint Petersburg, FL$87,553
Tampa, FL$87,534
Evansville, IN$87,479
Port Arthur, TX$87,479
Bradenton, FL$87,442
Santa Fe, NM$87,276
Orlando, FL$87,110
Clearwater, FL$87,082
Canton, OH$86,888
La Crosse, WI$86,888
Albuquerque, NM$86,832
Newport News, VA$86,823
High Point, NC$86,796
Ogden, UT$86,759
Corpus Christi, TX$86,685
Norfolk, VA$86,629
Laramie, WY$86,629
Rock Island, IL$86,574
Saginaw, MI$86,555
Jacksonville, FL$86,546
Salisbury, NC$86,528
Boise, ID$86,509
Moline, IL$86,463
Fort Myers, FL$86,435
Memphis, TN$86,417
Tulsa, OK$86,371
Waterloo, IA$86,315
Spartanburg, SC$86,223
Lincoln, NE$86,177
Fort Wayne, IN$86,158
Provo, UT$86,149
Cedar Falls, IA$86,038
San Antonio, TX$86,001
Greensboro, NC$85,964
South Bend, IN$85,955
Savannah, GA$85,853
Muskegon, MI$85,817
Birmingham, AL$85,807
Winston Salem, NC$85,762
Lake Charles, LA$85,539
Anderson, IN$85,521
Lexington, KY$85,493
Augusta, GA$85,466
Greenville, SC$85,466
Lima, OH$85,392
Wichita, KS$85,382
Tuscaloosa, AL$85,382
Columbia, SC$85,299
Springfield, OH$85,281
Asheville, NC$85,133
Bloomington, IN$85,068
Knoxville, TN$84,736
Shreveport, LA$84,727
Wilmington, NC$84,607
Roanoke, VA$84,607
Topeka, KS$84,440
Frankfort, KY$84,430
Oklahoma City, OK$84,367
Chillicothe, OH$84,330
Longview, TX$84,320
Melbourne, FL$84,311
Sioux Falls, SD$84,163
Mobile, AL$84,154
Terre Haute, IN$84,117
Altoona, PA$84,062
Amarillo, TX$83,997
Killeen, TX$83,969
Fayetteville, AR$83,896
Chattanooga, TN$83,868
Sioux City, IA$83,785
Idaho Falls, ID$83,766
Lynchburg, VA$83,692
Gainesville, FL$83,572
Portsmouth, OH$83,526
Little Rock, AR$83,508
Lafayette, LA$83,471
Youngstown, OH$83,471
Daytona Beach, FL$83,415
Clarksville, TN$83,406
Pensacola, FL$83,397
Temple, TX$83,390
Hopkinsville, KY$83,120
Erie, PA$83,101
Florence, SC$83,064
Charleston, WV$82,917
Great Falls, MT$82,870
Macon, GA$82,741
Tallahassee, FL$82,732
Fayetteville, NC$82,713
Waco, TX$82,695
Helena, MT$82,630
Pine Bluff, AR$82,595
Vincennes, IN$82,483
Lubbock, TX$82,446
Alamogordo, NM$82,390
Twin Falls, ID$82,307
Rapid City, SD$82,279
Jackson, MS$82,113
Huntington, WV$82,107
Greenville, MS$82,104
Parkersburg, WV$82,010
Montgomery, AL$81,993
Wichita Falls, TX$81,901
Springfield, MO$81,901
Biloxi, MS$81,855
Monroe, LA$81,762
Johnstown, PA$81,697
Sumter, SC$81,661
Columbus, GA$81,651
Pascagoula, MS$81,476
Abilene, TX$81,476
Kingsport, TN$81,236
Albany, GA$81,236
Gulfport, MS$81,208
Alexandria, LA$80,903
Fort Smith, AR$80,672
El Paso, TX$80,423
Las Cruces, NM$80,007
Harlingen, TX$79,773
Pocatello, ID$79,758
Florence, AL$79,638
Brownsville, TX$79,620
Mcallen, TX$79,426
Dothan, AL$79,296
Columbus, MS$78,748
Altus, OK$78,317
Lawton, OK$78,142
Pierre, SD$77,809
What Skills Can Increase a Propulsion Design Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 9.23% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Billing (Mentioned in 4.25% Job Postings): Billing refers to the aspect of banking, whereby someone is charged accurately for what item they purchased.
HRIS Systems (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): Is a form of Human Resources software that combines a number of systems and processes to ensure the easy management of human resources, business processes and data.
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 a Propulsion Design Engineer's salary.
Resource Management: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Client Service: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Propulsion Design Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Propulsion Design Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Propulsion Design Engineer positions in Transportation or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Propulsion Design Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Propulsion Design Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense
$110,826
$53.0
20%
Biotechnology
$110,826
$53.0
20%
Financial Services
$110,826
$53.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$110,826
$53.0
20%
Software & Networking
$110,826
$53.0
20%
How Education impacts a Propulsion Design Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Propulsion Design Engineers enter the field with a Bachelor'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 a Propulsion Design Engineer with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$91,442
and $96,223).
Propulsion Design Engineer Salaries by Degree Level
Understanding how a Propulsion 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 September 01, 2026
$84,557
Average$92,355/year
$98,795
$7,046
Average$7,696/month
$8,233
$1,626
Average$1,776/week
$1,900
$41
Average$44/hour
$47
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$98,795
$8,233
$1,900
$47
Average
$92,355
$7,696
$1,776
$44
25th Percentile
$84,557
$7,046
$1,626
$41
Salaries of Jobs related to Propulsion Design Engineer
Product Design Engineer V$160,151
Design Engineer$128,034
Product Design Engineer III$111,967
Propulsion Engineer$109,497
Senior Propulsion Engineer$105,131
Rocket Propulsion Engineer$97,283
Product Design Engineer II$89,565
Propulsion Systems Engineer$86,636
Propulsion Technician$79,500
Product Design Engineer I$78,962
Aerospace Propulsion$34,549
Salary Trends for Propulsion Design Engineer
Salaries for a Propulsion Design Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $85,306 in 2023
to around $84,068 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Propulsion Design Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Propulsion Design Engineer Over Time
$???
$85,306
$84,761
$84,068
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$85,306
2024
$84,761
2025
$84,068
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Propulsion Design Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Propulsion Design Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Propulsion Design Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Propulsion Design Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Propulsion Design Engineer?
The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Propulsion Design Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
