Aerospace Engineers Salary
The median pay for a aerospace engineers in Indiana is $107,400/year ($51.63/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $83K at the entry level to $177K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $116,981 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,144/month, or 16.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Indiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
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What $107K actually covers in Indiana, month by month
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What this looks like in Indiana
Pay for aerospace engineers in Indiana runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $135K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,144/month, 17% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Indiana can be a reasonable trade-off for aerospace engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indiana
Entry-level aerospace engineers (10th percentile) start around $83K. Mid-career wages sit at $107K. Top earners bring in $177K or more, a $94K spread from bottom to top.
Aerospace Engineers salary by metro in Indiana
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $112K | +4% | 330 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Indiana numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a aerospace engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $107K, rent takes 17% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for aerospace engineers in Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new aerospace engineers typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,327/month. At HUD’s $1,144/month FMR, rent would take 21% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is aerospace engineer a high-paying job in Indiana?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $107K here vs. $135K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for aerospace engineers?
Indiana pays $107K median vs. the U.S. average of $135K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $117K — below the national median.
How much do aerospace engineers make in Indiana?
The median is $107,400 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $82,530, and experienced aerospace engineers can clear $176,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $107K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,722/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 17% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a aerospace engineers salary go in Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median aerospace engineers salary is worth about $116,981 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do aerospace engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.