The aerospace and defense industry is a crucial component of Colorado’s technology economy.  Also, because of Colorado’s geographical location, it provides one-bounce satellite communications to Europe and Asia, and because of our Mountain time zone Colorado companies can efficiently conduct business with both continents during the same business day.

Colorado has approximately 24,740 private-sector aerospace and defense workers in nearly 120 companies that develop products from launch vehicles and satellites to command and control software, sensors, and navigation equipment.   If you add suppliers and related businesses, Colorado has 163,230 workers in more than 400 businesses statewide according to the Colorado Space Coalition.  Military aerospace personnel is also strong in Colorado with more than 28,700 direct workers (9,610 at Aurora’s Buckley Air Force Base alone).  In fact, aerospace and defense employment grew 6.5 percent in the state from 2005 to 2010; the national growth for the same period was 2.0 percent.  Aerospace companies accounted for 1.2 percent of Colorado’s total employment base, compared with a 0.3 percent concentration nationally.

Colorado ranks first in the nation for its 2010 concentration of private-sector aerospace employment (24,740).  The 2009 average salary for an aerospace and defense worker is $108,930 ($88,420 nationwide).  A total of $2.8 billion was spent in 2008 for Colorado’s aerospace payroll.  There are 28,470 military personnel located within the state for a total of 54,340 direct jobs in the state.

Colorado’s aerospace industry payroll totaled $2.8 billion in 2009.  The average annual salary for a Colorado aerospace employee is $108,930 ($88,420 national average). 

The Aurora/Denver metro region ranked first out of the 50 largest metro areas for private aerospace employment with 19,170 workers.  And Aurora is a major driver in the aerospace industry in Colorado - more than one-third of Colorado’s direct aerospace jobs are located in the city and at Buckley Air Force Base.

Aurora is home to numerous aerospace primes such as The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Company.  In fact, they are all ranked in Aurora’s largest 25 private employers with Raytheon Comapny being the city’s second largest private employer with 2,140 employees.

For more information on Aurora's aerospace industry, download the document in the download center. 

Raytheon's NPOESS Project