Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between flight controls engineers and aircraft engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a flight controls engineer and an aircraft engineer. Additionally, a flight controls engineer has an average salary of $99,619, which is higher than the $72,867 average annual salary of an aircraft engineer.
The top three skills for a flight controls engineer include C++, FAA and flight control systems. The most important skills for an aircraft engineer are DOD, aircraft systems, and CAD.
| Flight Controls Engineer | Aircraft Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,619 | $72,867 |
| Hourly rate | $47.89 | $35.03 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 46,807 | 5,718 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The main task of a flight controls engineer is to monitor the instrument systems of an airplane during the flight. Flight controls engineers communicate with dispatchers, assist the pilot, oversee the fuel, and regulate cabin pressure. They work on the design, state flow testing, and module of the flight control system. Their job includes investigating, recommending, and implementing flight control system solutions. They perform data analysis to ensure compliance with FAA. Also, they provide solutions to issues affecting the operations and developments of flights.
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.
Flight controls engineers and aircraft engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flight Controls Engineer | Aircraft Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,619 | $72,867 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $130,000 | Between $53,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Joby Aviation |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a flight controls engineer and an aircraft engineer in terms of educational background:
| Flight Controls Engineer | Aircraft Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Aerospace Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between flight controls engineers' and aircraft engineers' demographics:
| Flight Controls Engineer | Aircraft Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 13.0% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |