What is the entry level Aerospace Engineer salary in Columbus?

Entry level Aerospace Engineer positions in Columbus start near $82,000. Candidates with strong backgrounds negotiate toward $107,000.

Is Columbus a good city for Aerospace Engineers?

Columbus offers competitive compensation for Aerospace Engineers. The median salary is $107,000.

What skills drive the highest Aerospace Engineer salaries?

Security clearance level and employer type drive the widest variance. In Columbus, compensation ranges from $82,000 to $141,000.

What is the cost of living adjusted Aerospace Engineer salary in Columbus?

Columbus's COL multiplier is 0.93x. The median Aerospace Engineer salary of $107,000 here equals about $115,054 in an average cost market.

Aerospace Engineer.

Q: Do Aerospace Engineers in Columbus earn overtime or bonuses?

Many Aerospace Engineers are exempt from overtime. Defense contractors offer 8 to 15% annual bonuses and retention bonuses of $10,000 to $30,000 for cleared engineers. Ask about total comp when evaluating offers.

Columbus.

$107,000

median salary, 7% below the national average

$82,000 to $141,000. Updated for 2026.

Get your playbook

The numbers.

Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.

Columbus is 7% cheaper than the national average. For Aerospace Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $107,000, with the full range spanning $82,000 to $141,000. Security clearance level and employer type drive the widest variance. Know the range before you walk in.

Salary range

25th Percentile

$82,000

per year

Median

$107,000

per year

75th Percentile

$141,000

per year

Tap to place your salary

$82,000$141,000

How Columbus compares

Columbus, OH

$107,000

Cost of living: 7% below average

National Average

$115,000

Columbus is $8,000 below

What you should know

The Aerospace Engineer landscape in Columbus is not what most salary sites will tell you. Columbus is Ohio's largest city and a growing technology and logistics hub, home to companies like Nationwide Insurance and a major Intel semiconductor fab under construction. The city's large university system and low cost of living attract both startups and corporate expansions. Tech salaries have been climbing as national employers establish Midwest offices. Security clearance level and employer type drive the widest variance. Defense contractors pay 10 to 20% premiums for TS/SCI clearances. Specialization in propulsion, avionics, or spacecraft systems commands higher compensation than structural analysis. The growing commercial space sector is pushing salaries upward across all levels.

Junior aerospace engineers start at $88,000 to $100,000. Senior engineers reach $115,000 to $152,000 after six to eight years. Principal engineers and engineering directors earn $155,000 to $210,000, with chief engineers at major programs exceeding $230,000. In Columbus, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.

Base salary is not the full picture. Defense contractors offer 8 to 15% annual bonuses and retention bonuses of $10,000 to $30,000 for cleared engineers. Commercial space companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin add equity packages. Many roles include relocation assistance and clearance processing support. And on the tax side: ohio's income tax tops out around 3.5%, and Columbus adds a city income tax of 2.5%. The combined rate is moderate, but the city tax applies to all who work within city limits. When someone quotes you $107,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Mention Intel's new fab investment when negotiating. The semiconductor megaproject is driving salaries upward across the entire Columbus tech and engineering market. The range for Aerospace Engineers in Columbus runs from $82,000 to $141,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

Top industries in Columbus

Insurance & Financial ServicesTechnologyLogisticsHealthcareHigher Education

Negotiating in Columbus

Mention Intel's new fab investment when negotiating. The semiconductor megaproject is driving salaries upward across the entire Columbus tech and engineering market.

Common questions.

An active Secret clearance adds $5,000 to $15,000, while Top Secret/SCI adds $15,000 to $30,000. The clearance backlog means employers pay premiums to retain already-cleared engineers rather than sponsor new investigations.

Base salaries are comparable, but commercial space companies offer larger equity packages that can add $30,000 to $80,000 in annual value. Defense contractors counter with better work-life balance, pensions, and clearance-based premiums.

Entry level Aerospace Engineer positions in Columbus typically start near $82,000. Candidates with relevant internships, certifications, or portfolio work often negotiate closer to the median of $107,000. Junior aerospace engineers start at $88,000 to $100,000.

Columbus is Ohio's largest city and a growing technology and logistics hub, home to companies like Nationwide Insurance and a major Intel semiconductor fab under construction. The city's large university system and low cost of living attract both startups and corporate expansions. For Aerospace Engineers specifically, the median salary of $107,000 reflects that demand.

Security clearance level and employer type drive the widest variance. Defense contractors pay 10 to 20% premiums for TS/SCI clearances. Specialization in propulsion, avionics, or spacecraft systems commands higher compensation than structural analysis. The growing commercial space sector is pushing salaries upward across all levels. In Columbus, these factors can push compensation from the 25th percentile of $82,000 to the 75th percentile of $141,000 or beyond.

Columbus's cost of living multiplier is 0.93x the national average. The adjusted median Aerospace Engineer salary of $107,000 accounts for this. In practice, a Aerospace Engineer earning $107,000 in Columbus has roughly the same purchasing power as someone earning $115,054 in an average cost market.

It depends on the position and employer. Many Aerospace Engineers in Columbus are classified as exempt salaried employees without overtime eligibility. However, defense contractors offer 8 to 15% annual bonuses and retention bonuses of $10,000 to $30,000 for cleared engineers. When evaluating the $82,000 to $141,000 range, ask about the total compensation structure during negotiation.