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The differences between aircraft 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 aircraft engineer and a simulation engineer. Additionally, a simulation engineer has an average salary of $97,266, 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 simulation engineer are python, MATLAB, and simulink.
| Aircraft Engineer | Simulation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,867 | $97,266 |
| Hourly rate | $35.03 | $46.76 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 5,718 | 46,570 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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 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.
Aircraft engineers and simulation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Engineer | Simulation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $72,867 | $97,266 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $99,000 | Between $70,000 And $133,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Joby Aviation | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Professional |
There are a few differences between an aircraft engineer and a simulation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Engineer | Simulation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between aircraft engineers' and simulation engineers' demographics:
| Aircraft Engineer | Simulation Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% |
| 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, 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% |