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The differences between aircraft design engineers and mechanical design 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 aircraft design engineer, becoming a mechanical design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an aircraft design engineer has an average salary of $102,461, which is higher than the $75,821 average annual salary of a mechanical design engineer.
The top three skills for an aircraft design engineer include CATIA, CAD and GD. The most important skills for a mechanical design engineer are CAD, mechanical design, and GD.
| Aircraft Design Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,461 | $75,821 |
| Hourly rate | $49.26 | $36.45 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 44,269 | 120,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Aircraft design engineers and mechanical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Design Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,461 | $75,821 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $136,000 | Between $59,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an aircraft design engineer and a mechanical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Design Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between aircraft design engineers' and mechanical design engineers' demographics:
| Aircraft Design Engineer | Mechanical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 11.1% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |