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Propulsion Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Propulsion Engineer make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Propulsion Engineer in the United States is $109,497 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $53.

However, a Propulsion Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $122,851
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $102,321 to $116,487
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $95,788
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Propulsion Engineer Salaries

A Propulsion 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 Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Propulsion 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): $78,396
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $94,140
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $108,983
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $137,941
  • Expert (over 8 years): $159,262
Levels Salary
Aerospace... Level Propulsion Engineer$78,396
Aerospace... Level Propulsion Engineer$94,140
Propulsio... Level Propulsion Engineer$108,983
Aerospace... Level Propulsion Engineer$137,941
Aerospace... Level Propulsion Engineer$159,262
View as Graph

How Do Propulsion 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 Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $121,235.
  • California: $120,775.
  • Massachusetts: $119,166.

Top Paying Cities for Propulsion 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: $138,109
  • San Francisco: $136,596
  • Oakland: $133,718

What Skills Can Increase a Propulsion Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 13.86% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • System Integration (Mentioned in 2.62% Job Postings): The process of creating a complex information system that may include designing or building a customized architecture or application, integrating it with new or existing hardware, packaged and custom software, and communications.
  • Software Development (Mentioned in 2.25% Job Postings): Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task). Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 13.86%
System Integration 2.62%
Software Development 2.25%
See More Skills

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 a Propulsion Engineer's salary.

  • Strategic Thinking: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Water Treatment: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Resilience: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Strategic Thinking $121,542
11%
Water Treatment $118,257
8%
Resilience $117,162
7%
Get Latest Data

Propulsion Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Propulsion Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 70% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 35% above the average. In contrast, Propulsion Engineer positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Propulsion Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Propulsion Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$147,821$71.035%
Energy & Utilities$136,871$66.025%
Aerospace & Defense$125,922$61.015%
MFG Durable$114,972$55.05%

How Education impacts a Propulsion Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Propulsion 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 Engineer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $113,828 and $119,335).

Propulsion Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Propulsion Engineer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.7%
High School 2.9%
Associates 2.7%
Bachelors 31.8%
Masters 49.5%
Doctorate 12.4%
View as Graph

Propulsion Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Propulsion 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.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$102,321
Average $109,497/year
$116,487
$8,527
Average $9,125/month
$9,707
$1,968
Average $2,106/week
$2,240
$49
Average $53/hour
$56
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $116,487 $9,707 $2,240 $56
Average $109,497 $9,125 $2,106 $53
25th Percentile $102,321 $8,527 $1,968 $49

Most common benefits for Propulsion Engineer

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Propulsion Engineer

Here are companies hiring for Propulsion Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Propulsion Engineer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Propulsion Engineer?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Propulsion Engineer roles, with salaries approximately 35% 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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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