Propulsion Engineer vs Aerospace Engineer: pay, jobs and what each takes

On this board today: 275 open propulsion engineer jobs and 33 aerospace engineer jobs, read from each employer's own job board.

Launch companies and spacecraft makers hire propulsion engineers to design, build and test rocket engines, thrusters and the fluid systems that feed them. Space companies hire aerospace engineers to design and analyze launch vehicles, spacecraft and landers, and to work out how they fly, heat up and come home.

A mechanical or aerospace engineering degree, then hands-on time on engines, fluid systems or a test stand. An aerospace or mechanical engineering degree; analysis and design roles often add a master's. Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: Propulsion engineers, Aerospace engineers.