Flight test mechanic vs flight engineer

The differences between flight test mechanics and flight 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 mechanic and a flight engineer. Additionally, a flight engineer has an average salary of $85,035, which is higher than the $59,974 average annual salary of a flight test mechanic.

The top three skills for a flight test mechanic include electrical systems, ground support equipment and aircraft structures. The most important skills for a flight engineer are FAA, flight operations, and simulator.

Flight test mechanic vs flight engineer overview

	Flight Test Mechanic	Flight Engineer
Yearly salary	$59,974	$85,035
Hourly rate	$28.83	$40.88
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	52,936	2,042
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 41%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	4	4

Flight test mechanic vs flight engineer salary

Flight test mechanics and flight engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Flight Test Mechanic	Flight Engineer
Average salary	$59,974	$85,035
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $80,000	Between $55,000 And $129,000
Highest paying City	-	Gilbert, AZ
Highest paying state	-	Arizona
Best paying company	-	Learjet
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between flight test mechanic and flight engineer education

There are a few differences between a flight test mechanic and a flight engineer in terms of educational background:

	Flight Test Mechanic	Flight Engineer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 41%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	Purdue University	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Flight test mechanic vs flight engineer demographics

Here are the differences between flight test mechanics' and flight engineers' demographics:

	Flight Test Mechanic	Flight Engineer
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 5.8% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	2%	9%

Differences between flight test mechanic and flight engineer duties and responsibilities

Flight test mechanic example responsibilities.

Work with FAA personnel inspecting aircraft upon arrival to airfield.
Inspect complete work to certify that maintenance meets FAA standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
Work in there fleet department repairing and diagnosis on all emergency apparatuses and ambulances and police vehicles also include maintenance schedules.
Receive and implement combat orders and direct deployment of personnel in offensive, defensive operations.

Flight engineer example responsibilities.

Manage and execute all aircraft grind servicing as well as security for USAF assets abroad.
Lead several Russian inspectors during a highly-visible reentry vehicle inspection on-site inspection - commend for superb leadership
Perform operational checks on helicopter systems and subsystems to isolate and facilitate troubleshooting of malfunctions.
Modify airframe for customer options.
Work are performed in compliance with applicable U.S. Government and DoD regulations, guidance, policies and procedures.
Develop flight dynamics math models in FORTRAN for the simulators of FAA approve business class aircraft using flight test data.

Flight test mechanic vs flight engineer skills

Common flight test mechanic skills

Electrical Systems, 18%
Ground Support Equipment, 17%
Aircraft Structures, 7%
Hydraulic Systems, 5%
Aircraft Systems, 4%
Flight Control, 3%

Common flight engineer skills

FAA, 10%
Flight Operations, 9%
Simulator, 8%
DOD, 7%
Combat, 5%
Technical Problems, 5%

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Flight Test Mechanic
Flight Test Mechanic vs Flight Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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