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Wind tunnel engineer vs propulsion engineer

The differences between wind tunnel engineers and propulsion 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 wind tunnel engineer and a propulsion engineer. Additionally, a propulsion engineer has an average salary of $98,475, which is higher than the $92,133 average annual salary of a wind tunnel engineer.

The top three skills for a wind tunnel engineer include data analysis, labview and engineering support. The most important skills for a propulsion engineer are propulsion system, CAD, and MATLAB.

Wind tunnel engineer vs propulsion engineer overview

Wind Tunnel EngineerPropulsion Engineer
Yearly salary$92,133$98,475
Hourly rate$44.29$47.34
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs2,82445,629
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Wind tunnel engineer vs propulsion engineer salary

Wind tunnel engineers and propulsion engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Wind Tunnel EngineerPropulsion Engineer
Average salary$92,133$98,475
Salary rangeBetween $67,000 And $126,000Between $70,000 And $138,000
Highest paying CityWalnut Creek, CA-
Highest paying stateRhode Island-
Best paying companyTesla-
Best paying industry--

Differences between wind tunnel engineer and propulsion engineer education

There are a few differences between a wind tunnel engineer and a propulsion engineer in terms of educational background:

Wind Tunnel EngineerPropulsion Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorAerospace EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyGeorgia Institute of Technology

Wind tunnel engineer vs propulsion engineer demographics

Here are the differences between wind tunnel engineers' and propulsion engineers' demographics:

Wind Tunnel EngineerPropulsion Engineer
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 95.2% Female, 4.8%Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 12.1% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between wind tunnel engineer and propulsion engineer duties and responsibilities

Wind tunnel engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage the fuel supply and aircraft electrical distribution system on board ship, including radar tank gauging and filtration systems.
  • Investigate ICD requirement on payload fairing venting to ensure the structure integrity of the spacecraft and payload fairing.
  • Position also include engineering liaison to resolve technical and mechanical installation issues and vendor and FAA DER coordination for documentation issues.
  • Remove insulation, fiberglass, calcium and asbestos.
  • Apply Insulation/metal to hot/cold pipes on the ground or midair.

Propulsion engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
  • Conduct FEA of design components.
  • Derive equations that are input to MATLAB for results.
  • Lead RF design/test engineer for structurally integrate AESA prototype.
  • Support customer usage duty cycle group with calculation of suspension loads.
  • Flight test and prepare paper works and document for aircraft engine flight certification with FAA.
  • Show more

Wind tunnel engineer vs propulsion engineer skills

Common wind tunnel engineer skills
  • Data Analysis, 42%
  • LabVIEW, 29%
  • Engineering Support, 9%
  • Acquisition Systems, 8%
  • CFD, 6%
  • Tunnel Design, 5%
Common propulsion engineer skills
  • Propulsion System, 15%
  • CAD, 10%
  • MATLAB, 10%
  • Test Data, 6%
  • NASA, 5%
  • CFD, 4%

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