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The differences between aircraft engineers and pilots 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 engineer and a pilot. Additionally, a pilot has an average salary of $83,128, which is higher than the $72,867 average annual salary of an aircraft engineer.
The top three skills for an aircraft engineer include DOD, aircraft systems and CAD. The most important skills for a pilot are PIC, pilot-in-command, and flight operations.
| Aircraft Engineer | Pilot | |
| Yearly salary | $72,867 | $83,128 |
| Hourly rate | $35.03 | $39.97 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 5,718 | 3,049 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An aircraft engineer oversees the design and assembly of an aircraft. Broadly, they are responsible for developing aircraft designs, testing and fine-tuning them, and ensuring safe practices during the assembly process. Specifically, this involves providing design drafts, meeting with executives to get feedback, and working in an engineering team to improve designs. They must consider aerodynamic principles, air safety, passenger comfort, and customer. This position requires an advanced degree and strong experience in the aviation field.
A pilot is an individual who works in the aviation industry to operate aircraft and transport passengers and cargos from one location to another. Pilots can fly and navigate different types of aircrafts such as helicopters, large commercial aircraft, or cargo planes. They must perform pre-flight inspections and check flight logs to secure safety for all crews and passengers who are on board. Pilots can also decide to work as flight instructors or establish an aviation school when they have gained enough experience in the aviation industry.
Aircraft engineers and pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Engineer | Pilot | |
| Average salary | $72,867 | $83,128 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $99,000 | Between $58,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Joby Aviation | HP |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an aircraft engineer and a pilot in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Engineer | Pilot | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Aviation |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between aircraft engineers' and pilots' demographics:
| Aircraft Engineer | Pilot | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 10.8% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |