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The differences between aerospace engineers and staff 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 staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, which is higher than the $100,401 average annual salary of an aerospace engineer.
The top three skills for an aerospace engineer include C++, DOD and FAA. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Aerospace Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,401 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $48.27 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 42,086 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Aerospace engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aerospace Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,401 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $140,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | California |
| Best paying company | Thrush Aircraft | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an aerospace engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aerospace Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between aerospace engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Aerospace Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |