What Defense pays in United States
Real salary ranges from active job ads — by role, industry, city and career level. No surveys, no estimation models: we only show what employers themselves put in the ad.
| Roles | n | Range p25 – p75 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| software developer | 103 | 182,000 € – 230,230 € | 202,020 € |
| manufacturing engineer | 85 | 135,590 € – 176,540 € | 155,610 € |
| electrical engineer | 53 | 155,610 € – 193,830 € | 176,540 € |
| microsystem engineer | 48 | 176,540 € – 209,072 € | 200,200 € |
| mechanical engineer | 39 | 146,510 € – 176,540 € | 155,610 € |
| product development manager | 38 | 155,610 € – 200,200 € | 200,200 € |
| supply chain manager | 37 | 174,720 € – 200,200 € | 176,540 € |
| integration engineer | 35 | 149,376 € – 187,460 € | 172,900 € |
| test engineer | 31 | 134,680 € – 176,540 € | 163,800 € |
| flight test engineer | 30 | 130,130 € – 201,565 € | 176,540 € |
| City | n | Range p25 – p75 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa, California, United States | 860 | 154,700 € – 200,200 € | 176,540 € |
| Torrance, California, United States | 86 | 122,850 € – 185,356 € | 152,243 € |
| Ashville, Ohio, United States | 82 | 102,148 € – 155,610 € | 135,590 € |
| Santa Ana, California, United States | 66 | 81,900 € – 175,630 € | 136,500 € |
| Irvine, California, United States | 63 | 135,135 € – 200,200 € | 155,610 € |
| El Segundo, California, United States | 61 | 122,850 € – 179,725 € | 154,700 € |
| Departments | n | Range p25 – p75 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 876 | 136,500 € – 200,200 € | 175,630 € |
| Software | 258 | 159,250 € – 230,230 € | 199,290 € |
| Logistics | 111 | 118,755 € – 197,925 € | 155,610 € |
| Management | 96 | 133,656 € – 192,920 € | 155,610 € |
| Manufacturing | 78 | 75,521 € – 155,382 € | 127,400 € |
| IT Operations | 77 | 135,590 € – 182,000 € | 145,600 € |
| Sales | 45 | 113,522 € – 155,610 € | 129,630 € |
| Finance | 44 | 81,786 € – 138,775 € | 118,300 € |
| Creative/Media | 42 | 118,755 € – 260,488 € | 135,590 € |
| Career level | n | Range p25 – p75 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | 769 | 150,150 € – 200,200 € | 176,540 € |
| Mid | 484 | 109,200 € – 159,250 € | 135,590 € |
| Lead | 346 | 154,700 € – 230,230 € | 177,791 € |
| Head | 97 | 189,280 € – 265,720 € | 232,960 € |
| Junior | 75 | 41,478 € – 103,740 € | 70,525 € |
Median annual salary by country
EUR/year, converted to EUR · Click opens the country page with all roles, industries and cities
Median annual salary by country
| Country | n | Range p25 – p75 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 84,335 | 34,578 € – 50,100 € | 41,340 € |
| Germany | 63,743 | 27,520 € – 45,600 € | 33,540 € |
| Austria | 61,306 | 30,800 € – 43,746 € | 36,008 € |
| United States | 57,509 | 62,608 € – 168,350 € | 116,025 € |
| France | 53,011 | 22,360 € – 33,000 € | 25,632 € |
| Singapore | 47,435 | 26,112 € – 46,920 € | 33,456 € |
| Remote | 15,482 | 75,075 € – 168,350 € | 120,589 € |
| Czechia | 15,168 | 13,776 € – 20,418 € | 17,220 € |
| United Kingdom | 9,695 | 34,515 € – 70,200 € | 48,298 € |
| Spain | 5,106 | 18,547 € – 28,000 € | 22,274 € |
Frequently asked questions
Where does the salary data come from?
From active job ads in which the employer states a salary range — currently 57,509 in United States. We take the midpoint of the range, convert foreign currencies and monthly/hourly wages to EUR/year, and show the median as well as p25–p75.
Why do some values seem low?
In United States, only 63.2 % of ads state a salary — with a disproportionate share of collective-agreement and public-sector ads among them. Jobs without a stated salary are missing. The values therefore describe the transparent part of the market; that's why we always show n and the range.
When do we show a value?
Only from 30 ads per combination (e.g. role × city). Below that, a median isn't robust and individual salaries could be inferred.
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