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The differences between flight engineers and aerospace 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 engineer and an aerospace engineer. Additionally, an aerospace engineer has an average salary of $100,401, which is higher than the $85,035 average annual salary of a flight engineer.
The top three skills for a flight engineer include FAA, flight operations and simulator. The most important skills for an aerospace engineer are C++, DOD, and FAA.
| Flight Engineer | Aerospace Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,035 | $100,401 |
| Hourly rate | $40.88 | $48.27 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 2,042 | 42,086 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Flight Engineer monitors and controls various aircraft systems, such as airplanes and helicopters. They ensure that all components of the plane are in proper working order, as well as diagnose and rectify problems that may arise.
An aerospace engineer specializes in designing, maintaining, and repairing aircraft and spacecraft. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting tests and procedures to identify faults and inconsistencies, lead production processes, performing repairs and improvements, designing systems, and ensuring that all equipment complies with the safety regulations and standards. They are also responsible for producing technical materials such as reports, proposals, and manuals. Furthermore, there are instances where they must set the policies and standards on the equipment they are developing while utilizing their expertise in mathematics, engineering, and sciences.
Flight engineers and aerospace engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flight Engineer | Aerospace Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,035 | $100,401 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $129,000 | Between $71,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Gilbert, AZ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | Arizona |
| Best paying company | Learjet | Thrush Aircraft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a flight engineer and an aerospace engineer in terms of educational background:
| Flight Engineer | Aerospace Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aerospace Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between flight engineers' and aerospace engineers' demographics:
| Flight Engineer | Aerospace Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 81.9% 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 | 9% | 8% |