Quick Answer
Pratt & Whitney is the largest aerospace manufacturer near West Palm Beach. Its engine center on Beeline Highway in Jupiter employs about 2,000 people building, overhauling and developing commercial and military jet engines.
Other major employers include L3Harris, Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky, Northrop Grumman and Belcan. Collins Aerospace, a sister company to Pratt & Whitney under RTX, has had executive and interiors offices locally.
The county’s aviation, aerospace and engineering cluster employs about 21,000 people.
Palm Beach County’s Aerospace Cluster at a Glance
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Aviation, aerospace and engineering companies | ~2,000 (2026) |
| Growth over five years | +36% (from 1,401) |
| Employment | ~21,000 |
| Average wage (BDB data) | $134,214 |
| Largest employer | Pratt & Whitney (~2,000) |
The industry pays far more than the county’s average wage and has been a stable base for decades, long before finance and tech arrived downtown.
Pratt & Whitney: The Engine of the Cluster
Who is Pratt & Whitney?
Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines for commercial and military markets. It has been in Palm Beach County for more than 60 years.
Where is it located?
Pratt & Whitney’s West Palm Beach Engine Center is at 17900 Beeline Highway, in the Jupiter area of north Palm Beach County. Locally it’s still called the West Palm Beach site.
What does Pratt & Whitney do locally?
- F135 engine assembly: The site is a second source for assembling the F135 engine that powers the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet for customers worldwide.
- GTF engine overhaul: It runs a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center for Pratt’s geared turbofan (GTF) commercial engines.
- Military engine sustainment: A military engines sustainment team manages supplier quality and engine support.
- Auxiliary power units: Pratt moved its military auxiliary power unit business from San Diego to West Palm Beach.
- Research and development: Site leadership says the campus does extensive R&D for future military engines.
Economic impact
- Employment: About 2,000 employees, according to the Business Development Board’s 2025–2026 employer list.
- Investment: Pratt invested more than $63 million in a 2012 expansion, supported by $4.4 million in state and county incentives. A later expansion added 215 manufacturing and engineering jobs.
- Ongoing upgrades: A 2026 expansion reportedly added machining, testing, cleaning, assembly and warehousing equipment.
- Pay: A 2026 posting for a supplier quality engineer listed $107,500 to $204,500 a year.
Who can work there?
Many roles require U.S. citizenship or U.S. person status because of defense export controls. Most production and maintenance jobs are onsite.
Collins Aerospace: The RTX Connection
What is Collins Aerospace?
Collins Aerospace is one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense suppliers, owned by RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies). Its products include avionics, cabin interiors, landing gear, engine components and more. United Technologies created it in 2018 by combining UTC Aerospace Systems with Rockwell Collins.
What is Collins’ tie to West Palm Beach?
- Executive office: In 2018, Collins’ executive leadership worked from a small office at UTC’s existing Palm Beach County location. UTC leased the 18th floor of Phillips Point’s west tower for its aerospace division leaders.
- Headquarters address: Job postings from 2022 listed a Collins headquarters office at 777 South Flagler Drive.
- Wellington legacy: B/E Aerospace, a maker of aircraft cabin interiors, had its corporate headquarters in Wellington before merging into Collins.
Where is Collins headquartered today?
Collins Aerospace is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, with more than 80,000 employees worldwide. Its major manufacturing operations are outside Palm Beach County.
Other Aerospace and Defense Employers
| Company | Local Presence | Reported Local Employees |
|---|---|---|
| L3Harris Technologies | West Palm Beach | ~500 |
| Belcan Engineering Group | Palm Beach Gardens | ~396 |
| Lockheed Martin / Sikorsky | Development Flight Center, north county | Not current |
| Aerojet Rocketdyne | North county campus | Not disclosed |
| Northrop Grumman | Palm Beach County | Not disclosed |
| Power Systems Mfg. | Jupiter | ~480 |
A note on Sikorsky: In 2018, Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky closed its Florida assembly and flight operations in West Palm Beach, laying off about 500 workers, but kept its Development Flight Center on the same campus. That center had about 600 employees at the time. The episode shows how sensitive the cluster is to federal defense spending.
Why the Cluster Endures
Deep roots
Pratt & Whitney’s space division was once based in the county. It was later sold and became part of Aerojet Rocketdyne. Decades of propulsion and testing work built a skilled engineering workforce that keeps attracting suppliers.
Workforce pipeline
- Palm Beach State College: Pratt & Whitney works with the college on programs in electronics and data recording, skills needed to analyze jet engine data.
- Boynton Aerospace Science Academy: An aerospace program at Boynton Beach High School.
- Technical institutes: Long aligned with the industry, according to the BDB.
Location advantages
- Land: Large industrial sites in north and west Palm Beach County.
- Airports: Palm Beach International and nearby general aviation airports.
- Clustering: Suppliers want to be near engine makers.
Economic Impact Summary
| Who | What | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Pratt & Whitney | Military and commercial engines, MRO, R&D | ~2,000 jobs; $63M+ in past expansions |
| Collins Aerospace | Executive offices; cabin interiors legacy | Corporate presence; HQ now Charlotte |
| L3Harris | Defense electronics and systems | ~500 jobs |
| Belcan | Engineering services | ~396 jobs |
| Industry total | ~2,000 aerospace and engineering firms | ~21,000 jobs; $134K average wage |
Frequently Asked Questions
What manufacturing and aerospace companies are located near West Palm Beach?
Pratt & Whitney is the largest, with about 2,000 employees at its engine center in north Palm Beach County. Others include L3Harris, Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Development Flight Center, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Northrop Grumman, Belcan Engineering Group and Power Systems Mfg.
Does Pratt & Whitney build F-35 engines in Florida?
Yes. Its West Palm Beach Engine Center is a second source for assembling the F135 engine that powers the F-35 Lightning II.
Is Collins Aerospace headquartered in West Palm Beach?
No. It’s headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its executive leadership worked from a West Palm Beach office after the company formed in 2018, and its former B/E Aerospace unit was based in Wellington.
How many aerospace jobs are in Palm Beach County?
About 21,000 people work at nearly 2,000 aviation, aerospace and engineering companies, according to the BDB, with an average wage of $134,214.
Where is Pratt & Whitney located in Palm Beach County?
At 17900 Beeline Highway in the Jupiter area of north Palm Beach County, known locally as the West Palm Beach Engine Center.
Do Palm Beach County aerospace jobs require security clearances?
Many defense-related roles require U.S. citizenship or U.S. person status under export control rules, and some require clearances. Commercial engine overhaul roles may have fewer restrictions.
Sources and Further Reading
- Florida Trend, “Pratt & Whitney to Create 215 New Jobs and Expand in Palm Beach County”
- Aerospace Manufacturing and Design, “Pratt & Whitney opens expanded Florida operations”
- Trade and Industry Development, “UTC’s Pratt & Whitney $63M Expansion at W. Palm Beach Facility Adds 230 Jobs,” November 2012
- Manufacturing.net, “Pratt & Whitney Expands Florida Plant”
- Capital Analytics Associates / Invest:, “Spotlight On: Mary Anne Cannon, Vice President, West Palm Beach Site and Development Operations, Pratt & Whitney,” July 2025
- Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Pratt & Whitney job postings (2026)
- Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Industry Expertise: Aviation / Aerospace / Engineering
- Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, “State sees aerospace industry career boom,” July 25, 2026
- Apollo Technical, Miami Aerospace Engineer Talent Map (2026), citing BDB top employers 2025–2026
- Business Record, “UTC leases high-profile West Palm Beach office space,” November 2018
- ExecutiveBiz, “UTC, Rockwell Collins Pick Florida for ‘Collins Aerospace’ Exec Office,” 2018
- GPS World, “United Technologies Corp. acquires Rockwell Collins”
- Collins Aerospace company profile (Wikipedia)
- Hedrick Brothers, B/E Aerospace / Collins Aerospace Wellington headquarters remodel
- WPTV, “Lockheed Martin shutting down its assembly facility in Jupiter”
- Palm Beach Post (via PressReader), “Lockheed to lay off 500 at North Palm facility,” August 1, 2018
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