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The differences between flight test engineers and aeronautical 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 test engineer and an aeronautical engineer. Additionally, a flight test engineer has an average salary of $90,538, which is higher than the $80,442 average annual salary of an aeronautical engineer.
The top three skills for a flight test engineer include control room, data analysis and test procedures. The most important skills for an aeronautical engineer are MATLAB, airframe, and CAD.
| Flight Test Engineer | Aeronautical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,538 | $80,442 |
| Hourly rate | $43.53 | $38.67 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 26,384 | 28,911 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A flight test engineer is primarily in charge of testing and overseeing aircraft performances, ensuring every aspect aligns with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other governing agencies' policies and regulations. Their responsibilities revolve around planning and developing efficient test structures and criteria, examining mechanical and electrical systems, coordinating with other staff to gather necessary documentation, assessing risks, and identifying an aircraft's strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, as a flight test engineer, it is essential to analyze data and produce extensive reports that explain all test procedures and observations in detail.
Aeronautical engineers are responsible for designing and testing products for aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and satellites. Their tasks involve creating and examining blueprints, starting the criteria for a design system, scanning proposals, and correlating teams from design to manufacturing. They work full-time and often require extra hours to work on larger projects, keep track of progress, and make sure that the designs match the mandatory requirements. Individuals who preferred for the job are those who can communicate well, can control their time effectively and perform on diverse projects at once, and who love working as a part of a team towards common goals.
Flight test engineers and aeronautical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flight Test Engineer | Aeronautical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,538 | $80,442 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $123,000 | Between $59,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Illinois | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Terrafugia |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a flight test engineer and an aeronautical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Flight Test Engineer | Aeronautical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Aerospace Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between flight test engineers' and aeronautical engineers' demographics:
| Flight Test Engineer | Aeronautical Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 10.9% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.1% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |