New Mexico is a critical aerospace and defense state anchored by Kirtland Air Force Base, White Sands Missile Range — the largest military installation in the US at 3,200 square miles — and Sandia National Laboratories with 14,000 employees and a $3.3 billion annual budget. Careers here are uniquely consequential, supporting hypersonic programs, nuclear systems, and national security aerospace research that does not exist anywhere else.
From Sandia's weapons research to White Sands missile testing, New Mexico hosts a specialized and strategically vital national defense aerospace ecosystem.
Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia is one of the most important national security labs in the US, with a $3.3 billion annual budget and 14,000 employees developing aerospace systems, nuclear components, and hypersonic technology. Sandia's Albuquerque campus is the largest employer in New Mexico and creates aerospace and defense technical careers of exceptional consequence and compensation.
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands is the largest military installation in the US at 3,200 square miles and the primary test and evaluation site for Army and Air Force missile and hypersonic systems. White Sands tests over 100 programs annually and employs hundreds of defense technicians and engineers in test operations, range support, and instrumentation roles.
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland AFB hosts the Air Force Research Laboratory and manages critical space systems and nuclear missions for the Department of Defense. The base employs over 25,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel — making it one of New Mexico's largest employers — and anchors steady, long-term aerospace and defense employment across Albuquerque.
