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The differences between aerospace engineers and manufacturing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an aerospace engineer, becoming a manufacturing engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an aerospace engineer has an average salary of $100,401, which is higher than the $78,522 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for an aerospace engineer include C++, DOD and FAA. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineer are lean manufacturing, CAD, and solidworks.
| Aerospace Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,401 | $78,522 |
| Hourly rate | $48.27 | $37.75 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 42,086 | 115,384 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
An aerospace engineer specializes in designing, maintaining, and repairing aircraft and spacecraft. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting tests and procedures to identify faults and inconsistencies, lead production processes, performing repairs and improvements, designing systems, and ensuring that all equipment complies with the safety regulations and standards. They are also responsible for producing technical materials such as reports, proposals, and manuals. Furthermore, there are instances where they must set the policies and standards on the equipment they are developing while utilizing their expertise in mathematics, engineering, and sciences.
Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.
Aerospace engineers and manufacturing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aerospace Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,401 | $78,522 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $140,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | California |
| Best paying company | Thrush Aircraft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between an aerospace engineer and a manufacturing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aerospace Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between aerospace engineers' and manufacturing engineers' demographics:
| Aerospace Engineer | Manufacturing Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 11.0% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |