Defense and aerospace jobs: who is hiring and what it pays
Prime contractors, new defense technology companies and the cleared roles that support them. 28,895 open jobs at 989 employers, with a median stated pay of $160k. Every job on this page is in the United States, taken from the employer’s own career site or job system and checked to still be open.
28,895
open defense and aerospace jobs
989
employers hiring
$160k
median stated pay (5,790 jobs)
November 2026
first month tracked
All defense and aerospace lists
Employers with the most open defense and aerospace jobs
SpaceX, RTX and Anduril Industries lead the defense and aerospace employers on our board. The ten with the most openings post 38% of the 28,895 open defense and aerospace jobs.
| # | Employer | Open jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SpaceXTX · Median pay $120k | 2,091 open |
| 2 | RTXAZ · Median pay $100k | 1,449 open |
| 3 | Anduril IndustriesCA · Median pay $172k | 1,278 open |
| 4 | BAE SystemsNH | 1,269 open |
| 5 | Northrop GrummanCA · Median pay $123k | 1,261 open |
| 6 | L3HARRIS TechnologiesFL · Median pay $103k | 1,202 open |
| 7 | Lockheed Martin ServicesTX | 700 open |
| 8 | ParsonsMD · Median pay $142k | 631 open |
| 9 | General AtomicsCA | 515 open |
| 10 | PeratonMD · Median pay $135k | 513 open |
Highest-paying defense and aerospace roles
Among defense and aerospace jobs that state yearly pay, Producers and Directors, Art Directors and Robotics Engineers pay the most at the median, against $160k for the segment as a whole.
| # | Role | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Producers and Directors23 open · With pay 15 | $256k |
| 2 | Art Directors27 open · With pay 8 | $253k |
| 3 | Robotics Engineers66 open · With pay 26 | $228k |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Managers481 open · With pay 123 | $222k |
| 5 | Computer and Information Systems Managers280 open · With pay 35 | $222k |
| 6 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers15 open · With pay 15 | $215k |
| 7 | Lawyers79 open · With pay 20 | $209k |
| 8 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists28 open · With pay 9 | $195k |
Skills employers ask for
python, agile and supply chain are the skills most often named in defense and aerospace job postings, read from each posting's own text.
Where the defense and aerospace jobs are
CA, VA and TX have the most open defense and aerospace jobs.
| # | State | Open jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CaliforniaMedian pay $172k | 5,590 open |
| 2 | VirginiaMedian pay $150k | 3,851 open |
| 3 | TexasMedian pay $140k | 2,540 open |
| 4 | MarylandMedian pay $146k | 1,963 open |
| 5 | ColoradoMedian pay $150k | 1,807 open |
| 6 | FloridaMedian pay $122k | 1,419 open |
| 7 | MassachusettsMedian pay $172k | 1,064 open |
| 8 | District of ColumbiaMedian pay $185k | 1,053 open |
New defense and aerospace jobs this week
25 defense and aerospace jobs were posted in the last seven days.
- Director, Supply Chain
L3HARRIS Technologies · Nashville, TN
Nov 8
- Senior Manager, Material Management
L3HARRIS Technologies · Huntsville, AL
Nov 8
- Senior Manager, Program Management
L3HARRIS Technologies · Huntsville, AL
Nov 8
- Sr. Specialist, Product Analyst
L3HARRIS Technologies · Rochester, NY
Nov 8
- Sr Associate, Program Finance
L3HARRIS Technologies · Carlsbad, CA
Nov 8
- Senior Associate Program Manager
L3HARRIS Technologies · Mason, OH
Nov 8
- Specialist Systems Engineer
L3HARRIS Technologies · Mason, OH
Nov 8
- Product Manager
L3HARRIS Technologies · Salt Lake City, UT
Nov 8
Laid off in defense and aerospace? Start here
- A plan for the weeks after a layoff
- Unemployment benefits and how to file, by state
- Severance calculator
- Layoff tracker: who is cutting and where
Then look at the employers above that are hiring now.
More industries
- US manufacturing30,611
- Healthcare26,211
- Financial services26,106
- Education13,810
- Non-profits12,670
- Biotech and pharma11,001
- AI8,080
- Construction7,228
- Space4,946
- Transportation and logistics4,911
- Semiconductors3,730
- Automotive and EV3,565
- Retail3,004
- Robotics and automation2,810
- Consumer packaged goods2,492
- Data centers2,443
- Utilities and power2,287
- Clean energy and nuclear2,163
- Real estate1,592
- Telecom1,388
- Tourism and hospitality1,274
- Steel, aluminum and metals967
- Oil and gas950
- Restaurants931
- Mining and natural resources874
- Airlines and aviation796
- TV and streaming777
- Shipbuilding and maritime549
- Casino and gaming458
- Music435
- Foundation323
- Museum242
- Sports223
- Movies and film48
How these lists are made
- Every job on this page is in the United States, taken from the employer’s own career site or job system and checked to still be open.
- A job is counted in defense and aerospace when its employer is on our list of defense and aerospace employers, or its title names defense and aerospace work. A job can sit in more than one segment.
- Pay figures use only jobs that state a yearly salary range in dollars; the figure is the middle of the range, and the median is across jobs. A pay list is shown only when enough jobs state pay.
- The same employer under different spellings is counted once. A city where one employer posts half the openings is not ranked.
- Lists are rebuilt weekly from our job board and kept by month. Professional and management roles; hourly roles are not on our board.
Built November 9, 2026.
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