Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between aerospace engineers and simulation 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 aerospace engineer and a simulation engineer. Additionally, an aerospace engineer has an average salary of $100,401, which is higher than the $97,266 average annual salary of a simulation engineer.
The top three skills for an aerospace engineer include C++, DOD and FAA. The most important skills for a simulation engineer are python, MATLAB, and simulink.
| Aerospace Engineer | Simulation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,401 | $97,266 |
| Hourly rate | $48.27 | $46.76 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,086 | 46,570 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A simulation engineer is an engineering professional who uses technical expertise and knowledge of computer simulation technologies to test the performance, durability, and safety of engineering solutions. Simulation engineers must use a virtual environment when working on an incredibly intricate and expensive project such as a new helicopter, satellite, or submarine. They use computer programming languages such as C++ and Fortran to model simulated environment. Simulation engineers are also required to collaborate with the design and production teams so that they can accomplish a specific project.
Aerospace engineers and simulation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aerospace Engineer | Simulation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,401 | $97,266 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $140,000 | Between $70,000 And $133,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | California |
| Best paying company | Thrush Aircraft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Professional |
There are a few differences between an aerospace engineer and a simulation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aerospace Engineer | Simulation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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 simulation engineers' demographics:
| Aerospace Engineer | Simulation Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% |
| 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, 4.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 16.4% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |