Aerodynamicist vs aircraft engineer

The differences between aerodynamicists and aircraft engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an aerodynamicist and an aircraft engineer. Additionally, an aerodynamicist has an average salary of $79,081, which is higher than the $72,867 average annual salary of an aircraft engineer.

The top three skills for an aerodynamicist include CAD, computational fluid dynamics and analysis tools. The most important skills for an aircraft engineer are DOD, aircraft systems, and CAD.

Aerodynamicist vs aircraft engineer overview

	Aerodynamicist	Aircraft Engineer
Yearly salary	$79,081	$72,867
Hourly rate	$38.02	$35.03
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	1,320	5,718
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Aerodynamicist vs aircraft engineer salary

Aerodynamicists and aircraft engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Aerodynamicist	Aircraft Engineer
Average salary	$79,081	$72,867
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $145,000	Between $53,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Joby Aviation
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between aerodynamicist and aircraft engineer education

There are a few differences between an aerodynamicist and an aircraft engineer in terms of educational background:

	Aerodynamicist	Aircraft Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Aerospace Engineering	Aerospace Engineering
Most common college	Georgia Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Aerodynamicist vs aircraft engineer demographics

Here are the differences between aerodynamicists' and aircraft engineers' demographics:

	Aerodynamicist	Aircraft Engineer
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1%	Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 12.1% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 10.8% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between aerodynamicist and aircraft engineer duties and responsibilities

Aerodynamicist example responsibilities.

Visualize results via Tecplot, to confirm data with other sub-teams and achieve maximum performance.
Manage hardware and software development, integration, and support of the HIL simulation laboratory.
Fabricate parts for test pod using Haas CNC machines.
Provide design system development and maintenance services for a turbine OEM.
Develop a moisture loss model for use in an OEM's turbine design system.
Conduct simulations and evaluations of complex, multiphase, compressible flows in the design of turbomachinery.

Aircraft engineer example responsibilities.

Lead the software development for multiple successful NASA and DOD small business innovative research (SBIR) grants.
Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
Design the galleys of private jets using AutoCAD.
Develop flight data extraction and visualization software suite in MATLAB.
Verify compliance with FARs, aircraft specifications, and customer requests.
Complete equipment installations, wiring diagrams, and test fixtures using CATIA V4, V5 and CADEX applications.

Aerodynamicist vs aircraft engineer skills

Common aerodynamicist skills

CAD, 34%
Computational Fluid Dynamics, 21%
Analysis Tools, 12%
Aided Design, 12%
Tecplot, 7%
Ansa, 4%

Common aircraft engineer skills

DOD, 21%
Aircraft Systems, 13%
CAD, 11%
Airframe, 10%
Aircraft Maintenance, 8%
Landing Gear, 6%