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The differences between aeronautical engineers and flight controls 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 aeronautical engineer and a flight controls engineer. Additionally, a flight controls engineer has an average salary of $99,619, which is higher than the $80,442 average annual salary of an aeronautical engineer.
The top three skills for an aeronautical engineer include MATLAB, airframe and CAD. The most important skills for a flight controls engineer are C++, FAA, and flight control systems.
| Aeronautical Engineer | Flight Controls Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,442 | $99,619 |
| Hourly rate | $38.67 | $47.89 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 28,911 | 46,807 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Aeronautical engineers are responsible for designing and testing products for aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and satellites. Their tasks involve creating and examining blueprints, starting the criteria for a design system, scanning proposals, and correlating teams from design to manufacturing. They work full-time and often require extra hours to work on larger projects, keep track of progress, and make sure that the designs match the mandatory requirements. Individuals who preferred for the job are those who can communicate well, can control their time effectively and perform on diverse projects at once, and who love working as a part of a team towards common goals.
The main task of a flight controls engineer is to monitor the instrument systems of an airplane during the flight. Flight controls engineers communicate with dispatchers, assist the pilot, oversee the fuel, and regulate cabin pressure. They work on the design, state flow testing, and module of the flight control system. Their job includes investigating, recommending, and implementing flight control system solutions. They perform data analysis to ensure compliance with FAA. Also, they provide solutions to issues affecting the operations and developments of flights.
Aeronautical engineers and flight controls engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aeronautical Engineer | Flight Controls Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,442 | $99,619 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $109,000 | Between $75,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | - |
| Best paying company | Terrafugia | - |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | - |
There are a few differences between an aeronautical engineer and a flight controls engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aeronautical Engineer | Flight Controls Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Aerospace Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between aeronautical engineers' and flight controls engineers' demographics:
| Aeronautical Engineer | Flight Controls Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.1% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 13.0% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |