# Lockheed Martin Fort Worth jobs in 2026: F-35 and open roles

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

[Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/lockheed-martin-fort-worth-jobs-2026)

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# Lockheed Martin Fort Worth jobs in 2026: F-35 and open roles

<div class="blog-stats">
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">~16,000</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Employees</div>
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  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">F-35</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Primary Program</div>
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  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">0% State Tax</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Texas</div>
  </div>
</div>

Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth plant is the Aeronautics division headquarters and F-35 Lightning II final assembly line — the largest defense program in history. With ~16,000 employees, it's one of LM's biggest facilities.

## Current hiring areas

| Category | Roles | Salary |
|----------|-------|--------|
| Aerospace Engineer | Structures, aero, flight test | $80K–$155K |
| Software Engineer | Mission systems, avionics | $90K–$165K |
| Systems Engineer | Integration, requirements | $85K–$160K |
| Manufacturing | Assembly, tooling, automation | $75K–$130K |
| Production Tech | Aircraft assembly, wiring | $45K–$75K |
| Quality Engineer | Inspection, supplier quality | $80K–$135K |

## Why Fort Worth has the best take-home pay

Texas has zero state income tax. Combined with moderate DFW housing costs, an E3 Senior Engineer at $120K in Fort Worth takes home ~$95K — compared to ~$85K for the same salary in Sunnyvale, CA (9.3% state tax), plus DFW housing costs 2-3x less.

## F-35 job security

The F-35 program is funded through the 2070s. The plant delivers 130-160 aircraft per year to the U.S. and international partners. This provides unusual long-term employment stability.

For the detailed Fort Worth guide, see our [LM Fort Worth hiring page](/blog/lockheed-martin-fort-worth-hiring-2026). Browse [Lockheed Martin positions on Zero G Talent](/space-jobs-at-lockheed-martin).


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