Flight Software Engineer salary: $189K median
The median advertised Flight Software Engineer salary is $189K a year, and the middle half of postings offer $158K to $220K: counted from 92 open roles that publish a yearly US-dollar range: about $91 an hour or $15,750 a month. A tenth of the postings offer $240K or more. Advertised ranges, not verified pay.
Check an offer against these figuresAll flight software engineer jobs
$189Kmedian advertised salary
$158K – $220Kmiddle half of roles
$189Kaverage advertised salary
92roles counted
Flight Software Engineer salary by level
Lead roles advertise a median of $228K, 19% more than senior roles ($192K). The level comes from the job title; titles without a level word are counted separately.
| Level | Median salary | Middle half | Roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | $192K | $178K–$218K | 33 |
| Lead and above | $228K | $216K–$242K | 15 |
| No level in the title | $158K | $142K–$190K | 43 |
Flight Software Engineer salary by location
| Name | Median salary | Roles counted |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸San Francisco Bay Area | $200K | 20 |
| 🇺🇸California | $191K | 70 |
| 🇺🇸United States | $189K | 90 |
| 🇺🇸Los Angeles, CA | $178K | 18 |
Skills that pay more for Flight Software Engineer roles
| Skill | Median with it | Above the median | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Vision | $222K | +$32K | 12 |
| Sensor fusion | $221K | +$32K | 17 |
| Test automation | $218K | +$28K | 11 |
| Compilers | $216K | +$27K | 14 |
| Hardware interfaces | $202K | +$12K | 28 |
Top-paying companies
| Name | Median salary | Roles counted |
|---|---|---|
| Muon Space | $225K | 5 |
| Anduril Industries | $222K | 12 |
| Reliable Robotics | $219K | 6 |
| True Anomaly | $190K | 5 |
| Apex Technology | $188K | 4 |
| K2 Space | $180K | 7 |
| Rocket Lab | $177K | 6 |
| Hermeus | $172K | 4 |
| Loftorbital | $172K | 5 |
| Inversion | $170K | 3 |
| SpaceX | $145K | 9 |
Highest-paying open Flight Software Engineer roles
All flight software engineer jobs- Head of Flight Software EngineerFortastra Corporation · 🇺🇸Torrance, CA$300K - $345KLead and aboveCI/CD
- Flight Software ManagerNeros Technologies · 🇺🇸Torrance, California, United States$226K - $316KCI/CD
- Tech Lead Manager- Onboard Software PerformanceWaymo · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA, USA$238K - $302KLead and aboveC++CUDARobotics
- Sr. Flight Software EngineerReliable Robotics · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA$215K - $300KSeniorC++CControl systems
- Senior Flight Software EngineerAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$220K - $292KSeniorRustC++Linux
- Staff Flight Software Engineer, Embedded C/C++, Air Dominance & StrikeAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K - $292KLead and aboveC++Embedded CComputer Vision
- Principal Flight Software EngineerTrue Anomaly · 🇺🇸Denver, CO; Long Beach, CA$180K - $285KLead and abovePythonC++Azure
- Senior Software Engineer - Flight SoftwareAstranis · 🇺🇸San Francisco$185K - $280KSeniorPythonC++Linux
- Director of Flight Software EngineeringXona Space · 🇺🇸Burlingame, California$218K - $274KLead and aboveC++CI/CD
- Staff Flight Software EngineerTrue Anomaly · 🇺🇸Denver, CO; Long Beach, CA$175K - $270KLead and abovePythonC++Azure
- Flight Software ManagerReliable Robotics · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA$210K - $270KPythonC++C
- Staff Flight Software EngineerVast · 🇺🇸Long Beach, California, United States$189K - $268KLead and aboveC++LinuxJira
- Senior Software Engineering Manager, Flight SoftwareMuon Space · 🇺🇸San Jose, CA$240K - $265KSeniorRustPythonC++
- Principal Flight Software EngineerRocket Lab · 🇺🇸Long Beach, CA$173K - $259KLead and aboveRustC++Linux
- Staff Software Engineer Clearance, Flight SoftwareMuon Space · Northern VA$228K - $252KLead and aboveRustPythonC++
- Senior Flight Software EngineerApex Technology · 🇺🇸Los Angeles$185K - $250KSeniorRustPythonC++
- Senior Flight Software Engineer (TS Cleared)Apex Technology · 🇺🇸Los Angeles$185K - $250KSeniorRustPythonC++
- Flight Software EngineerCowboyspace · 🇺🇸Kent, Washington$200K - $250KRustC++C
- Senior Flight Software EngineerAstro Mechanica · 🇺🇸San Francisco$170K - $250KSeniorRustC++Linux
- Flight Software EngineerFortastra Corporation · 🇺🇸Torrance, CA$180K - $250KCI/CD
Questions about Flight Software Engineer pay
- What is the average Flight Software Engineer salary?
- $189K a year on average and $189K at the median, across 92 open Flight Software Engineer postings at companies that state pay (November 2026). The median is the better guide: a few very high offers pull the average up.
- What is the typical range?
- The middle half of the postings offer $158K to $220K a year. A quarter offer less and a quarter offer more.
- Which companies advertise the highest Flight Software Engineer pay?
- Muon Space ($225K), Anduril Industries ($222K), Reliable Robotics ($219K), by the median of their open postings that state pay (three postings or more).
- Is a flight software engineer a high-paying job?
- The median Flight Software Engineer posting advertises $189K a year, more than the median of all 55,899 job postings with pay on Jobs Every Hour ($174K). That is 9% above the middle of the market.
- How much can you earn as a flight software engineer?
- A tenth of the postings offer $240K a year or more; the highest open Flight Software Engineer role advertises up to $345K. Pay rises with level: see the table by level.
- What is the Flight Software Engineer salary per hour and per month?
- The median of $189K a year is about $91 an hour (2,080 working hours) and $15,750 a month before tax. The middle half of postings: $76 to $106 an hour.
- Which skills pay more for Flight Software Engineer roles?
- Postings that ask for Computer Vision (+$32K, 12 postings), Sensor fusion (+$32K, 17 postings), Test automation (+$28K, 11 postings) advertise more than the $189K median of all Flight Software Engineer postings with pay.
- Where do these figures come from?
- From the pay ranges employers print in their own job postings, read from their careers pages every hour. The midpoint of each range is counted. These are advertised ranges for open roles, mostly in the United States and in US dollars, not what people are actually paid.
Writing about this? A sentence you can quote
The median advertised salary for Flight Software Engineer roles at companies is $189K a year, and the middle half of postings offer $158K to $220K. Counted from 92 open job postings that state pay, November 2026. Source: Jobs Every Hour, https://jobseveryhour.com/salaries/flight-software/
Free to use with the link.