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Aerospace Engineering Salary in Australia: What the Data Shows

The ABS does not publish a specific average or median salary for aerospace engineers at the 6-digit occupation level, so a precise figure is not available.

This sits on the Australian full-time average.

Week, hour, and a tax sketch

$2,084 a week · $54.83 an hour if spread over 38 hours

About $83,159 after resident income tax and a 2% Medicare levy.

2026–27 resident rates and a 2% Medicare levy. Not a tax assessment.Open the full line

Aerospace Engineering Salary in Australia

If you are looking for a precise aerospace engineering salary figure from official Australian sources, you will find that the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish a specific average or median for this occupation at the 6-digit ANZSCO level (233911 – Aeronautical Engineers). The Jobs and Skills Australia profile for Aeronautical Engineers explicitly states that median weekly earnings are not available for this occupation. This means any exact salary you see elsewhere is likely an estimate from private surveys or job advertisements, not official government data.

What the Official Data Does Tell Us

While there is no single aerospace engineering salary figure, we can place the role in context using broader ABS categories. Aerospace engineers are classified under the occupation group Professionals (ANZSCO major group 2). According to the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey for May 2025, the average weekly total cash earnings for all Professionals was $2,049.60. That works out to roughly $106,579 per year before tax (multiplied by 52). However, this is an average across all professionals – including lawyers, doctors, accountants, and engineers of all types – so it is not specific to aerospace.

For a more relevant comparison, you can look at the Engineering Professionals sub-major group (ANZSCO 233), which includes aerospace engineers. The ABS does not publish a separate average for this group in the Employee Earnings survey, but the broader category of Technicians and Trades Workers (which includes some engineering roles) had an average of $1,756.90 per week in May 2025. Engineering professionals typically earn more than trades, so the Professionals average is a better benchmark.

The National Full-Time Average and Medians

The key reference point on this site is the national full-time adult ordinary-time average from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026: $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year. This is the 'line' that salaries are measured against. For comparison:

  • The full-time median (all employees) is about $1,741 per week ($90,532 per year) from ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025.
  • The all-employees median (including part-time) is about $1,425 per week ($74,100 per year).
  • The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week.

Aerospace engineering is a professional role that typically requires a university degree, so salaries are likely to be above the all-employees median and possibly above the national full-time average, depending on experience and location. But without a published figure, we cannot say for certain.

How to Estimate Your Own Aerospace Engineering Salary

If you are an aerospace engineer looking to see where your pay sits, you can use the Place a salary on the line tool on this site. Enter your annual salary before tax, and the tool will show you how it compares to the national full-time average, the median, and the minimum wage. You can also compare by States and territories – for example, the full-time average in Western Australia is $115,825 per year, while in Tasmania it is $96,008. Aerospace engineering jobs may be concentrated in certain states (e.g., Queensland or Victoria near aerospace hubs), which could affect pay.

Industry Context

Aerospace engineers work in industries such as aircraft manufacturing, defence, and research. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings by industry for May 2026 shows that the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry (which includes engineering services) had a full-time adult average of about $2,200 per week (roughly $114,400 per year). The Manufacturing industry (which includes aerospace product manufacturing) had a lower average of about $1,900 per week. These industry averages can give a rough guide, but individual salaries vary widely.

Summary

In short, there is no official single aerospace engineering salary figure published by the ABS or Fair Work. The best you can do is use the broader averages and medians as benchmarks. For a personalised comparison, use the Place a salary on the line tool. For more on how the figures are set, see How the figures are set.

Questions

What is the average salary for an aerospace engineer in Australia?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics does not publish a specific average salary for aerospace engineers (ANZSCO 233911). The Jobs and Skills Australia profile for Aeronautical Engineers notes that median weekly earnings are not available for this 6-digit occupation. However, aerospace engineers fall under the broader 'Professionals' category, where the average weekly total cash earnings were $2,049.60 in May 2025 (ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). That equates to about $106,579 per year before tax, but this is not specific to aerospace engineering.

How does an aerospace engineering salary compare to the national full-time average?

Without a specific figure for aerospace engineers, you can compare using the national full-time adult ordinary-time average of $2,083.70 per week ($108,352 per year) from ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026. The full-time median for all employees is about $1,741 per week ($90,532 per year) from ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025. Aerospace engineering roles are typically professional and may pay above the all-employees median, but the exact position relative to the national average is unknown from published data.

What is the minimum wage for an aerospace engineer in Australia?

The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week (Fair Work). However, aerospace engineers are likely covered by an award or enterprise agreement that sets higher minimum rates. The Professional Employees Award, for example, has minimum rates for engineering professionals that are above the national minimum wage. You can check the relevant award on the Fair Work Ombudsman website for the exact minimum for your classification.

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