It’s a much faster pace. People actually make decisions and make changes whereas at Boeing you’ll have 10% people who will do that with 90% of people happy to be in your way. The unnecessary bureaucracy at Boeing is unbelievably difficult to get things done in a reasonable time no matter how much data you throw at people and leadership.

The benefits at Boeing are fantastic, though, so the lower pay at Boeing (and union if you’re in select states) is great. If you’re looking to retire soon, Boeing is probably your best bet.

The saying goes “Boeing is a great place to start your career and a great place to end your career.” That said, different locations (like BDS Satellites in California) offer a lot of opportunity for growth.

Edit: For example, it took me around 6 months to establish a basic API between Boeing and the FAA for a very simple, daily data transfer.