Boeing in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona: Apache helicopters, Phantom Works, and 4,600 aerospace jobs

Boeing's Mesa, Arizona campus is the company's rotorcraft manufacturing center and one of its largest facilities outside the Pacific Northwest. The site produces AH-64 Apache attack helicopters — a program that has sustained the Mesa facility since the 1980s — along with advanced defense research under Boeing's Phantom Works division. For aerospace job seekers in the Phoenix metro area, Boeing Mesa offers a different kind of work than the company's commercial aviation sites in Everett and Charleston.

What Boeing does in Mesa

Apache helicopter production — The Mesa site is the final assembly location for every AH-64 Apache helicopter delivered to the U.S. Army and international customers. A $4.685 billion Army contract awarded in recent years keeps this line running for at least the next several years. The Apache has been in continuous production since 1983, with the current E/F variants incorporating modernized sensors, communications, and weapons systems.

Phantom Works — Boeing's advanced research and prototyping division operates a $150 million Advanced Composite Fabrication Center in Mesa. Phantom Works handles classified and unclassified R&D projects spanning hypersonics, autonomous systems, directed energy, and next-generation aircraft structures. Composite fabrication is increasingly important as military platforms shift from aluminum to carbon fiber structures.

Vertical Lift sustainment — Beyond new production, Boeing Mesa handles upgrades, modifications, and sustainment for the global Apache fleet. This includes avionics upgrades, structural repairs, and integration of new weapons systems onto fielded aircraft.

Salary ranges

From our database of Boeing Mesa positions with salary data:

Boeing Mesa salaries reflect Arizona's lower cost of living compared to Boeing's Puget Sound or Southern California sites. A Phantom Works project engineer at $137K-$198K base is comparable purchasing power to $175K-$250K in the Seattle area, thanks to Arizona's lower housing costs and no state income tax on military pensions (and a flat 2.5% income tax rate for everyone).

Boeing's Arizona presence beyond Mesa

Boeing operates at several locations in the greater Phoenix area:

The company employs approximately 4,600 people across these Arizona sites. Mesa is the largest, with the production floor and Phantom Works facilities occupying the bulk of the headcount.

Who should target Boeing Mesa

Boeing Mesa is best suited for:

Rotorcraft engineers — mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers with helicopter or tiltrotor experience. The Apache production line needs structural engineers, avionics integration specialists, and flight test engineers.

Composites and materials specialists — The Advanced Composite Fabrication Center is hiring for engineers who work with carbon fiber layup, autoclave processing, and advanced manufacturing techniques.

Phantom Works researchers — If you're interested in classified R&D — hypersonics, directed energy, stealth, autonomous systems — the Mesa Phantom Works operation is one of Boeing's most active research sites. These roles typically require an active Secret or TS/SCI clearance.

IT and digital — Boeing is investing in digital transformation across its defense sites. The Mesa campus lists machine learning architects and AI project management specialists, reflecting the push to apply data science to manufacturing and sustainment operations.

Browse all Boeing positions on Zero G Talent. For other Boeing sites, see our Boeing salary guide or Boeing ESS space divisions. For other Arizona aerospace employers, see Northrop Grumman (Chandler, AZ office).