Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between propulsion engineers and transportation engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a propulsion engineer has an average salary of $98,475, which is higher than the $68,945 average annual salary of a transportation engineer.
The top three skills for a propulsion engineer include propulsion system, CAD and MATLAB. The most important skills for a transportation engineer are autocad, cost estimates, and project management.
| Propulsion Engineer | Transportation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,475 | $68,945 |
| Hourly rate | $47.34 | $33.15 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 45,629 | 20,388 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A Propulsion Engineer is responsible for inspecting the condition and stability of rocket engines and control systems within the aerospace industry. They create engine systems by utilizing various software applications and tools for construction. They also identify cost-reduction materials and techniques by negotiating contracts and agreements with trusted suppliers and vendors. A Propulsion Engineer must have excellent technical and mechanical skills to resolve engine issues and conduct preventive maintenance to prevent operational delays and potential hazards.
Transportation engineers are also known as civil engineers who are responsible for planning, designing, and operating roadway construction and maintenance and modifications of existing streets, highways, or freeways to improve traffic flow for the safety and efficiency of transportation systems. Such a job requires knowledge and skills in transportation and traffic management systems technology and applications to be able to plan, design, develop, and maintain traffic systems and processes including traffic lights more efficiently and effectively.
Propulsion engineers and transportation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Propulsion Engineer | Transportation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,475 | $68,945 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $138,000 | Between $51,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a propulsion engineer and a transportation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Propulsion Engineer | Transportation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between propulsion engineers' and transportation engineers' demographics:
| Propulsion Engineer | Transportation Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0% | Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 10.9% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 15.7% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |