Lead / Director Aerospace Engineers salary in California
Roles that direct strategy, lead teams, or hold full functional ownership. Typically ten or more years of experience or a Director-class title with budget responsibility.
Lead / Director Aerospace Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 20 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $182,749. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level IV — fully competent | 20 | $182,749 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Lead / Director Aerospace Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer Aviation Operating Corp. | Lead Engineer, EWIS | 4 | $182,749 |
| Joby Aero, Inc. | Senior Stress Engineer | 3 | $210,000 |
| Wisk Aero LLC | Staff Avionics and CommunicationsElectrical Engineering Prof | 3 | $182,749 |
| The Boeing Company | System Engineer - Fleet Health Monitoring | 2 | $171,142 |
| CesiumAstro Inc. | Principal GNC Engineer I | 1 | $187,782 |
| eInfochips Inc. | Aerospace Engineer | 1 | $187,782 |
| Ceres Robotics, Inc. | Aerospace Engineer | 1 | $208,000 |
| Pyka Inc. | Head of Cargo Engineering | 1 | $177,882 |
| GITAI USA Inc. | Avionics Engineer | 1 | $175,000 |
| LTA Research and Exploration LLC | Principal GNC Engineer | 1 | $182,749 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Principal GNC Engineer I at CesiumAstro Inc.$187,782Santa ClaraWage Level IVDecided Sep 11, 2025I-200-25247-287995
- Aerospace Engineer at eInfochips Inc.$187,782CampbellWage Level IVDecided Aug 6, 2025I-200-25211-208691
- Aerospace Engineer at Ceres Robotics, Inc.$208,000Mountain ViewWage Level IVDecided Jul 23, 2025I-200-25197-179922
- Senior Stress Engineer at Joby Aero, Inc.$193,000Santa CruzWage Level IVDecided Jul 14, 2025I-200-25188-156157
- System Engineer - Fleet Health Monitoring at The Boeing Company$171,142Seal BeachWage Level IVDecided Jun 26, 2025I-202-25169-108386
- Staff Avionics and CommunicationsElectrical Engineering Prof at Wisk Aero LLC$182,749Mountain ViewWage Level IVDecided Jun 25, 2025I-200-25168-103355
- Head of Cargo Engineering at Pyka Inc.$177,882AlamedaWage Level IVDecided Jun 18, 2025I-200-25162-081971
- Lead Engineer, EWIS at Archer Aviation Operating Corp.$182,749San JoseWage Level IVDecided Jun 17, 2025I-200-25161-073283
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.