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How much do flight controls engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 22, 2026, the average hourly pay for flight controls engineer in the United States is $82.24, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $77.40 and $90.87 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the typical day-to-day responsibilities of a Flight Controls Engineer?

Flight Controls Engineers spend their days developing, testing, and refining control systems that manage an aircraft’s stability and response. They often work closely with multidisciplinary teams including software developers, test pilots, and systems engineers to design algorithms and validate performance both in simulation and on real hardware. Regular tasks may include modeling flight dynamics, analyzing data from test flights, troubleshooting system anomalies, and preparing technical documentation. This role requires a high level of attention to detail and collaboration to ensure that flight control systems meet stringent safety and reliability standards.

What is a Flight Controls Engineer job?

A Flight Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and testing flight control systems that manage an aircraft's behavior in flight. This includes working on software, hardware, and control laws to ensure stability, performance, and safety. They collaborate with aerospace engineers, pilots, and regulatory agencies to meet industry standards. Their role often involves simulation, modeling, and real-world testing to refine control systems.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Flight Controls Engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Flight Controls Engineer, you need a strong background in aerospace engineering, control systems theory, and experience with flight dynamics modeling, usually supported by a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink, control law development tools, and industry certifications such as a Professional Engineer (PE) license or familiarity with DO-178C/DO-254 standards is highly valued. Excellent problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication skills help distinguish high performers in collaborative aviation environments. These skills are essential to ensure the safe, reliable design and integration of advanced flight control systems in modern aircraft.

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Flight Controls Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Flight Controls Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 6% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 92% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $171,051 per year, or $82.2 per hour.
Flight Research Guidance, Navigation and Controls (GNC) Engineer

Flight Research Guidance, Navigation and Controls (GNC) Engineer

Joby Aviation

Santa Cruz, CA • On-site

$149K - $206K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 11 days ago

Job description

Company Overview
Joby Flight Research designs, develops, and flight-tests novel aircraft using a software-first autonomy approach. We build and deploy autonomy, perception, planning, and radar systems across conventional, electric, and hydrogen-electric aircraft in both CTOL and VTOL configurations.
Overview
Joby Aviation's Flight Research team is looking for an experienced and driven Guidance, Navigation and Controls (GNC) Engineer to contribute to the research and development of new aircraft configurations. We are a small, close-knit and agile team; the engineer will work closely with other software/controls engineers to develop simulation capabilities, control algorithms ranging from stabilization to basic autonomy, and analyses/tests to leverage simulation software for aircraft design and rapid iteration. The engineer will be expected to deliver high quality flight controls software, act with agency, and be capable of picking up a wide variety of tasks.
Responsibilities
  • Deliver high quality and well thought out flight controls software (C++) for VTOL and CTOL aircraft.
  • Contribute heavily to open-loop and closed-loop stability and performance analysis tools (C++/Python).
  • Formulate test plans to demonstrate robustness and performance of solutions.
  • Directly support flight testing of various aircraft platforms as a required crewmember in a remote ground station.
  • Collaborate closely with the rest of the software & controls team to ideate, plan and execute on high quality, well integrated solutions.

Required
  • Expert level understanding of aircraft dynamics
  • Expert level knowledge of modern control methods including robust control and optimal control.
  • Experience writing real-time and safety-critical C++ flight software.
  • Experience developing simulation and tools for linear analysis of dynamic systems (open-loop and closed-loop)
  • Experience writing C++ and Python in a professional environment.
  • Experience with real-time signal processing

This position must meet US export control compliance requirements, therefore a candidate must qualify as a "US Person" as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15. "US Person" includes US Citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees.
Desired
  • Experience developing flight-test experiments for quantitative characterization of controls performance
  • Experience with system ID analysis techniques and testing methods
  • Experience developing flight controls and flight automation algorithms for both CTOL and VTOL aircraft
  • Experience with automatic differentiation tools

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $149,000 - $206,000/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.
Additional Information
Joby Aviation is an equal opportunity employer.

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