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The differences between flight controls engineers and avionics systems 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 avionics systems engineer. Additionally, a flight controls engineer has an average salary of $99,619, which is higher than the $99,014 average annual salary of an avionics systems engineer.
The top three skills for a flight controls engineer include C++, FAA and flight control systems. The most important skills for an avionics systems engineer are avionics systems, FAA, and system integration.
| Flight Controls Engineer | Avionics Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,619 | $99,014 |
| Hourly rate | $47.89 | $47.60 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 46,807 | 80,025 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
Avionics systems engineers conduct research development problems associated with aviation, essentially instrument landing systems and other safety instruments for aircraft vehicles. They are a subspecialty of the field of aerospace engineering. They also inspect, adjust, test, and repair electronic components of aircraft flight-control systems, navigation, and communication and compile maintenance and overhaul records of the work they do. Avionics systems engineer also adjusts frequencies of the communications apparatus when performing periodic checks on those frequency settings.
Flight controls engineers and avionics systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flight Controls Engineer | Avionics Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,619 | $99,014 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $130,000 | Between $76,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a flight controls engineer and an avionics systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Flight Controls Engineer | Avionics Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between flight controls engineers' and avionics systems engineers' demographics:
| Flight Controls Engineer | Avionics Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| 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, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 11.0% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |