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The differences between aircraft designers and aeronautical 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 aircraft designer and an aeronautical engineer. Additionally, an aircraft designer has an average salary of $91,919, which is higher than the $80,442 average annual salary of an aeronautical engineer.
The top three skills for an aircraft designer include MATLAB, installation drawings and CATIA. The most important skills for an aeronautical engineer are MATLAB, airframe, and CAD.
| Aircraft Designer | Aeronautical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,919 | $80,442 |
| Hourly rate | $44.19 | $38.67 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 46,747 | 28,911 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Aircraft designers and aeronautical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Designer | Aeronautical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,919 | $80,442 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $137,000 | Between $59,000 And $109,000 |
| 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 aircraft designer and an aeronautical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Designer | Aeronautical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Aerospace Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between aircraft designers' and aeronautical engineers' demographics:
| Aircraft Designer | Aeronautical Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 19.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |