# Lockheed Martin aerospace engineer salary in 2026: pay by program and location

**Author:** Zero G Talent
**Published:** 2026-02-28
**Category:** salary-guides
**Tags:** lockheed-martin, salary, aerospace, systems-engineering, defense

[Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/lockheed-martin-aerospace-engineer-salary-2026)

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# Lockheed Martin aerospace engineer salary in 2026: pay by program and location

<div class="blog-stats">
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">$80K–$185K+</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Aerospace Eng Range</div>
  </div>
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">$113K</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Median TC</div>
  </div>
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">E1–E6</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Engineering Levels</div>
  </div>
</div>

Lockheed Martin aerospace engineers — working on Orion, GPS III, missile defense, and the F-35 — earn $80,000–$185,000+ in base salary with a median total compensation around $113,000. Here's how pay varies by program, level, and location.

## Salary by level (aerospace discipline)

| Level | Title | Base Salary | With Bonus + 401(k) |
|-------|-------|------------|-------------------|
| E1 | Associate Aerospace Eng | $80,000–$102,000 | $91K–$118K |
| E2 | Aerospace Engineer | $92,000–$118,000 | $105K–$136K |
| E3 | Senior Aerospace Eng | $108,000–$135,000 | $124K–$157K |
| E4 | Staff Aerospace Eng | $125,000–$155,000 | $143K–$179K |
| E5 | Senior Staff | $140,000–$175,000 | $160K–$202K |
| E6 | Principal | $155,000–$185,000+ | $178K–$215K+ |

Aerospace engineers average ~$7K annual bonus — the highest among LM engineering disciplines.

## Pay by major program

| Program | Division | Key Location | Typical Level |
|---------|----------|-------------|---------------|
| F-35 Lightning II | Aeronautics | Fort Worth, TX | E2–E5 |
| Orion Spacecraft | Space | Denver, CO | E2–E5 |
| GPS III/IIIF | Space | Denver, CO | E3–E5 |
| THAAD Missile Defense | MFC | Huntsville, AL | E3–E5 |
| LM 400 Satellite Bus | Space | Sunnyvale, CA | E2–E4 |
| Sikorsky Helicopters | RMS | Stratford, CT | E2–E5 |

## Location impact

| Location | State Tax | Cost of Living | Advantage |
|----------|-----------|---------------|-----------|
| Fort Worth, TX | 0% | Moderate | Best take-home |
| Huntsville, AL | 5% | Low | Highest purchasing power |
| Denver, CO | 4.4% | Moderate-high | Space HQ, most opportunities |
| Orlando, FL | 0% | Moderate | Good balance |
| Sunnyvale, CA | 9.3%+ | Very high | Highest base, lowest net |

An E3 earning $120K in Huntsville has roughly equivalent purchasing power to $165K in Sunnyvale due to cost of living and tax differences.

For the full discipline comparison (software vs aerospace vs mechanical vs systems), see our [LM engineer salary guide](/blog/lockheed-martin-engineer-salary-2026). For total compensation analysis, see our [LM total comp breakdown](/blog/lockheed-martin-engineer-salary-2026).

Browse [Lockheed Martin positions on Zero G Talent](/space-jobs-at-lockheed-martin), or see our [LM careers guide](/blog/lockheed-martin-careers-2026).


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*Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*