Highest-paying defense and aerospace employers
Anthropic, OpenAI and Chaos post the highest median pay among defense and aerospace employers that state pay on at least a few of their jobs. 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.
Highest-paying defense and aerospace employers
Rebuilt weekly. November 2026 edition.
| # | Employer | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AnthropicCA · Open 10 · With pay 10 | $349k |
| 2 | OpenAIDC · Open 7 · With pay 7 | $273k |
| 3 | ChaosCA · Open 15 · With pay 15 | $249k |
| 4 | Scale AIDC · Open 20 · With pay 20 | $221k |
| 5 | Kaizen LabsDC · Open 6 · With pay 5 | $215k |
| 6 | DatabricksVA · Open 15 · With pay 14 | $211k |
| 7 | Capella SpaceMD · Open 11 · With pay 8 | $207k |
| 8 | Muon SpaceCA · Open 106 · With pay 24 | $207k |
| 9 | TwentyVA · Open 36 · With pay 32 | $205k |
| 10 | FuseDC · Open 5 · With pay 4 | $203k |
| 11 | OktaMD · Open 12 · With pay 12 | $201k |
| 12 | PicogridCA · Open 5 · With pay 5 | $200k |
| 13 | Shield AIWA · Open 417 · With pay 403 | $200k |
| 14 | Turion SpaceCA · Open 9 · With pay 9 | $200k |
| 15 | ClearanceJobsMD · Open 38 · With pay 27 | $197k |
| 16 | Long WallCA · Open 6 · With pay 6 | $196k |
| 17 | Rune TechnologiesVA · Open 11 · With pay 11 | $195k |
| 18 | True AnomalyCO · Open 210 · With pay 31 | $193k |
| 19 | Swarm AeroCA · Open 12 · With pay 12 | $191k |
| 20 | AndurilCA · Open 388 · With pay 361 | $187k |
| 21 | Code MetalDC · Open 16 · With pay 5 | $185k |
| 22 | NooksCO · Open 5 · With pay 5 | $185k |
| 23 | SaildroneCA · Open 35 · With pay 34 | $185k |
| 24 | The AerospaceVA · Open 11 · With pay 5 | $185k |
| 25 | Zone 5 TechnologiesCA · Open 53 · With pay 53 | $185k |
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More industries
- US manufacturing30,495
- Healthcare25,566
- Financial services25,485
- Education12,966
- Non-profits12,761
- Biotech and pharma10,685
- AI8,032
- Construction7,390
- Transportation and logistics4,894
- Space4,802
- Semiconductors3,805
- Automotive and EV3,639
- Retail2,961
- Robotics and automation2,792
- Data centers2,570
- Consumer packaged goods2,445
- Utilities and power2,298
- Clean energy and nuclear2,181
- Real estate1,502
- Telecom1,354
- Tourism and hospitality1,235
- Steel, aluminum and metals966
- Oil and gas933
- Mining and natural resources891
- Restaurants890
- Airlines and aviation777
- TV and streaming733
- Shipbuilding and maritime471
- Casino and gaming454
- Music414
- Foundation334
- Museum273
- Sports207
- Movies and film46
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