Space is an important frontier in the best states for aerospace engineers.
Whenever I think of engineers, scientists, or mathematicians, I’m immediately in awe of the work they do because it’s an area of expertise I haven’t mastered or gotten remotely close to understanding. I know math is incredibly important, but I don’t like it or care about it and I’m proud of using my iPhone calculator to figure out what to tip at a restaurant and that’s it. Space seems really interesting to study and think about, though, and if I were to enter any scientific field it would probably be something related to space simply because it would make me feel like Dana Scully. She’s a doctor, but same thing I guess.
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Aerospace engineering is primarily concerned with the development or space and aircraft. Aeronautical and astronautical engineering are the branches within it. These engineers basically design and work with anything that flies like aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and satellites. There are a lot of skills you need and a lot of things you need to know. Physics is a major part of this career because of the air and space factors. If you’re not a spacey person, maybe the best states for advertising salesmen is more your speed.
In order to create this list of best states for aerospace engineers, we took data of the annual mean salary and number of employees from each state from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 17 states were missing from the statistics, so that’s something to keep in mind here. Additionally, we took a look at the cost of living index from MERIC. It’s important to know how the cost of living factors into the salary in each state. The best states will be the ones with the lowest cost of living and the highest average annual salary. If your salary is high and the cost of living is too high, then the salary doesn’t mean as much, which is why we took this into consideration.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best states for aerospace engineers.
15. North Carolina
Cost of living index: 94.2
Annual mean salary: $99,760
Hourly mean wage: $47.96
Number of employees: 710
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14. Michigan
Cost of living index: 88.2
Annual mean salary: $94,810
Hourly mean wage: $45.58
Number of employees: 1,330
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13. Minnesota
Cost of living index: 101.1
Annual mean salary: $110,550
Hourly mean wage: $53.14
Number of employees: 340
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12 .Illinois
Cost of living index: 95.5
Annual mean salary: $102,020
Hourly mean wage: $50.49
Number of employees: 370
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11. Kansas
Cost of living index: 90.4
Annual mean salary: $101,210
Hourly mean wage: $48.65
Number of employees: 2,370
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10. Nebraska
Cost of living index: 91.3
Annual mean salary: $102,970
Hourly mean wage: $49.50
Number of employees: 110
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9. Kentucky
Cost of living index: 90.8
Annual mean salary: $103,490
Hourly mean wage: $49.75
Number of employees: 130
8. New Mexico
Cost of living index: 95.7
Annual mean salary: $112,260
Hourly mean wage: $53.97
Number of employees: 730
We’re halfway through our list of best states for aerospace engineers, and now, let’s see the otehr half.
7. Ohio
Cost of living index: 93
Annual mean salary: $110,690
Hourly mean wage: $53.21
Number of employees: 4,890
6. Mississippi
Cost of living index: 86
Annual mean salary: $102,590
Hourly mean wage: $49.32
Number of employees: 110
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5. Georgia
Cost of living index: 91.4
Annual mean wage: $110,960
Hourly mean wage: $53.34
Number of employees: 2,620
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4. Texas
Cost of living index: 90.7
Annual mean salary: $111,480
Hourly mean wage: $53.59
Number of employees: 7,450
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3. Alabama
Cost of living index: 91.2
Annual mean wage: $115,550
Hourly mean wage: $55.55
Number of employees: 4,470
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2. Colorado
Cost of living index: 102.1
Annual mean salary: $129,550
Hourly mean wage: $62.28
Number of employees: 2,410
1. Virginia
Cost of living index: 100.2
Annual mean salary: $130,580
Hourly mean wage: $62.77
Number of employees: 2,350
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That concludes our list of the best states for aerospace engineers. If you’re looking for a new place to live and work, you should consider one of these options.
