What are the beginning, average, and top pay one could expect to earn working in aerospace engineering?
Starting salaries these days (1999) are in the $38-$45K range. Average salaries for mid career folks are $60K-$70K. Top salaries depend upon responsibilities; higher managers and project leaders make six figures. One thing to remember is that salary isnt everything in terms of compensation; you also have to factor in how many hours per week you will be expected to work, whether you will have to work night shifts, whether you will be expected to travel a lot, how much sick and vacation time you get, whether your company will pay for graduate education, what the health/life insurance benefits are like, and what the retirement benefits (401K, pension, stock options, etc.) are like. In aerospace engineering, you can find jobs that run the full range of possibilities in all of these categories.
