Head-to-head
Boeing vs Lockheed Martin
Which pays more, which is easier to get into, and which fits the work you want. Compared on the pay each states, the kind of company, where each hires, and the roles open right now.
Boeing
Lockheed MartinBoeing vs Lockheed Martin, in brief
, the SpaceJobs.Now board shows 160 open Boeing roles at a typical $116k to $239k a year (median $144k) and 1,700 open Lockheed Martin roles at a typical $104k to $270k a year (median $137k).
Boeing pays more on typical work ($116k–$239k/yr typical (live median $144k/yr) vs Lockheed Martin's $104k–$270k/yr typical (live median $137k/yr)), and the rates both boards post make that 92% likely.
What we know does not show which of the two hires more of the people who apply. Boeing works in launch and propulsion; Lockheed Martin in spacecraft and stations.
Both hire for Systems & Test, Launch & Ops, Technicians, and Avionics; Boeing also covers Quality; Lockheed Martin also covers Mechanical, Flight Software, Software & IT, and Programs & Business.
Right now Lockheed Martin has more live roles (1,700 vs 160).
Bottom line: Boeing pays more, so pick Boeing for the higher rate, or Lockheed Martin if its specific work fits you better.
| Boeing | Lockheed Martin | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pay | $116k–$239k/yr typical (live median $144k/yr) | $104k–$270k/yr typical (live median $137k/yr) |
| Type of company | Launch & propulsion · Space and launch (part of an aerospace prime) | Spacecraft & stations · Satellites, the Orion spacecraft and missile warning systems (part of a defense prime) |
| Kinds of work | Systems & Test, Launch & Ops, Technicians, Quality, and Avionics | Systems & Test, Mechanical, Avionics, Flight Software, Software & IT, Launch & Ops, Technicians, and Programs & Business |
| Where it hires | Kennedy Space Center, FL; Houston, TX; Huntsville, AL; El Segundo, CA | Littleton, Aurora and Longmont, CO; Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, FL; Stennis Space Center, MS |
| Open roles now | 160 live | 1,700 live |
| Employee ratings | See its review | See its review |
Pay shows each employer's live measured band where its board has enough roles that state pay, otherwise our compiled benchmark. How we compile pay.
Boeing vs Lockheed Martin salary by profession
The median of what each employer's open roles of the same work post, from its own job board. Each figure opens that employer's salary page for the work, by level and by site.
| Profession | Boeing | Lockheed Martin |
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $146k/yr (29 roles) | $158k/yr (237 roles) |
| Systems Engineer | $159k/yr (27 roles) | $150k/yr (323 roles) |
| Electrical Engineer | $159k/yr (18 roles) | $158k/yr (143 roles) |
| RF or Communications Engineer | $137k/yr (12 roles) | $194k/yr (26 roles) |
| GNC Engineer | $171k/yr (10 roles) | $158k/yr (35 roles) |
Best for people looking for Systems & Test and Launch & Ops roles, with higher pay.
See 160 open roles →Best for people looking for Systems & Test and Mechanical roles.
See 1,700 open roles →Boeing and Lockheed Martin in our research
What the two employers' open postings on 4 Nov 2026 show, measured the same way for both by our space industry research, rebuilt every day. Every figure opens the row of the report it comes from.
| Measure | Boeing | Lockheed Martin |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles | 160 | 1,722 |
| Share of all open space roles | 0.9% | 9.2% |
| Posted in the last 30 days | 155 | 875 |
| Posted this week | 89 | 235 |
| Taken down this week | 93 | 137 |
| Open roles with a known posting date | 160 | 1,722 |
| Half of its postings come down within (days) | 14 | 43 |
| Kinds of work hiring | 14 | 14 |
| Open only to US persons or citizens | 95.6% | 47.1% |
| Name a security clearance | 99.4% | 76.8% |
| Take a diploma or an associate's degree | 3.8% | 2.7% |
| Name a master's or PhD | 16.3% | 12.3% |
| Postings that count military experience | 5 | 19 |
| SkillBridge internships | 0 | 0 |
| Postings that state pay | 95.0% | 98.3% |
| Median posted pay a year | $144,000 | $137,000 |
| Starter roles (internships, new graduate, entry level) | 5 | 105 |
| Starter roles' share of its open roles | 3.1% | 6.1% |
| Internships and co-ops | 1 | 34 |
| Ask for weekend work | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Ask for overtime or extended hours | 0.6% | 3.6% |
| Name an evening, night or rotating shift | 3.8% | 2.6% |
| State a share of time traveling | 29.4% | 4.5% |
| Postings that offer visa sponsorship | 0 | 0 |
| Postings that say the employer does not sponsor work visas | 157 | 1 |
| Postings that offer relocation | 101 | 0 |
| Postings that say no relocation is offered | 59 | 6 |
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Boeing vs Lockheed Martin: common questions
Which pays more, Boeing or Lockheed Martin?
Boeing pays more on typical work ($116k–$239k/yr typical (live median $144k/yr) vs Lockheed Martin's $104k–$270k/yr typical (live median $137k/yr)), and the rates both boards post make that 92% likely.
Is Boeing or Lockheed Martin easier to get hired at?
What we know does not show which of the two hires more of the people who apply. Boeing works in launch and propulsion; Lockheed Martin in spacecraft and stations.
More comparisons
Sorted by the expected value of applying to the stronger employer in each pair. A referral agreement, if an employer has one, can raise it here but never changes its salary.