# Thermal engineer salary in 2026: aerospace and defense

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

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

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# Thermal engineer salary in 2026: aerospace and defense

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    <div class="blog-stat-value">$80K–$175K</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Salary Range</div>
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    <div class="blog-stat-value">ME/AE Degree</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Typical Background</div>
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    <div class="blog-stat-value">Niche</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Specialized Demand</div>
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Thermal engineers in aerospace manage heat — from rocket engine thermal protection to spacecraft thermal control systems to satellite radiator design. It's a specialized discipline within mechanical/aerospace engineering.

## Salary by employer

| Employer | Entry | Mid-Career | Senior |
|----------|-------|-----------|--------|
| SpaceX | $100K–$140K | $130K–$180K | $170K–$220K+ |
| Blue Origin | $90K–$130K | $115K–$160K | $150K–$200K |
| Lockheed Martin | $75K–$100K | $95K–$135K | $120K–$165K |
| Northrop Grumman | $78K–$105K | $98K–$140K | $125K–$170K |
| Ball Aerospace | $80K–$110K | $100K–$145K | $130K–$175K |
| NASA (GS) | $58K–$86K | $93K–$130K | $122K–$170K |

## Types of thermal work

| Domain | Applications |
|--------|-------------|
| Spacecraft thermal control | Heaters, radiators, MLI blankets, heat pipes, louvers |
| Launch vehicle | Engine nozzle cooling, TPS, aerothermal analysis |
| Satellite thermal | Eclipse/sun cycle management, payload cooling |
| Reentry thermal protection | Heatshield design, ablative materials (Orion, Dragon) |
| Electronics cooling | Avionics thermal management, component derating |

## Key tools and skills

- **Thermal Desktop / SINDA** — Industry-standard spacecraft thermal modeling
- **ANSYS / COMSOL** — FEA thermal analysis
- **MATLAB / Python** — Custom thermal models, orbital heating analysis
- **Testing** — Thermal vacuum (TVAC) chamber test design and execution
- **Materials** — MLI, thermal coatings, phase-change materials, heat pipes

Thermal engineering is niche enough that experienced practitioners are in high demand. An engineer with 5+ years of TVAC testing and Thermal Desktop experience can command premium salaries.

See our [propulsion engineer guide](/blog/propulsion-engineer-2026) for a related discipline. Browse [engineering positions on Zero G Talent](/space-engineering-jobs).


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