Aerospace Engineer total compensation: base vs bonus vs equity

Base pay is only part of the story. A Aerospace Engineer's total compensation runs about $197K (range $189Kโ€“$204K) once bonus, equity, and benefits are included โ€” base is roughly 72% of that.

Where the money comes from

Base salary
Guaranteed cash
$142K
72%
Bonus (mid)
5โ€“15% of base
$14K
7%
Equity / RSUs
~6% of base, annualised
$9K
4%
Benefits
~22% (health, 401k, etc.)
$31K
16%

Total (mid): $197K. Equity and bonus vary widely by employer and performance โ€” treat these as planning ranges, not a guaranteed offer.

Common questions

What is a Aerospace Engineer's total compensation?

A Aerospace Engineer's total comp is roughly $197K at the mid estimate (range $189Kโ€“$204K): base $142K plus a 5โ€“15% bonus, ~6% equity, and ~22% benefits.

How much of Aerospace Engineer pay is base vs bonus and equity?

Base is about 72% of total comp for a Aerospace Engineer. The rest comes from bonus ($14K mid), equity/RSUs (~$9K/yr annualised), and benefits (~$31K).

Do Aerospace Engineers get stock or RSUs?

Typically yes in this field โ€” around 6% of base in annualised equity, though it varies widely by employer (startups skew higher and riskier; large public firms pay liquid RSUs).

Bonus/equity/benefits modelled from category norms (Levels.fyi, Robert Half, employer benefit-cost data); estimates, not an offer.

Aerospace Engineer Total Compensation: Base vs Bonus vs Equity (2026) | Official Salary