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GNC Engineer vs Software Engineer: pay, jobs and what each takes
GNC engineers and software engineers side by side: what each earns by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and by the jobs open today, how many jobs there are, and the education and credentials each takes.
GNC Engineer vs Software Engineer, side by side
| GNC engineer | Software engineer | |
|---|---|---|
| Open jobs on this board today | 205 | 1,112 |
| Median posted hourly pay (open jobs) | $167,000 | $169,050 |
| Median hourly pay (BLS) | - | - |
| Median yearly pay (BLS) | - | - |
| Projected employment change (BLS) | - | - |
| Openings a year (BLS) | - | - |
| Typical education to enter (BLS) | - | - |
| Credentials | Security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) | Security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) |
GNC Engineer vs Software Engineer: common questions
Are there more GNC engineer or software engineer jobs?
On this board today: 205 open GNC engineer jobs and 1,112 software engineer jobs, read from each employer's own job board.
What is the difference between a GNC and a software engineer?
Launch and spacecraft companies hire GNC engineers to write the algorithms that steer a vehicle, and flight dynamics engineers to plan where it goes. Space companies hire software engineers for the code that flies the vehicle and the software on the ground that builds, tests and operates it.
How do you become a GNC or a software engineer?
An aerospace engineering degree, usually a master's, with controls, estimation and simulation work. A computer science or engineering degree, or a record of shipped software. Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: GNC engineers, Software engineers.
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- Aerospace Technician vs Machinist
- Machinist vs Welder
- Aerospace Technician vs Manufacturing Engineer
- Program Manager vs Product Manager
- Data Scientist vs Software Engineer
- Mission Operations Engineer vs Systems Engineer
Sources and method
Pay and outlook are BLS's figures for each occupation's main SOC code; open jobs and their posted median are this board's, counted as each occupation's own page counts them.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and Employment Projections
- SpaceJobs.Now job board: open jobs read every night from each employer's own careers site
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). GNC Engineer vs Software Engineer: Pay, Jobs and Requirements Compared. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/compare-careers/gnc-engineer-vs-software-engineer