Pretty much.
I have bits of paper saying that I am a TP, and am in current practice. I took the degree --> FTE --> CPL route sliding slowly but not entirely from back to front seat along the way, and am quite proud of where I've got.
However, I have never flown as TP anything above 1500kg - I might get to 5700kg but have no real expectation of ever assessing part 25 aircraft as a pilot (as an FTE certainly, I have many times, similarly various military aircraft) and it's been far more a skillset feeding my overall work in Aeronautics. I make a very comfortable living doing the various things that I do - but realistically fly 20 hours test piloting in a good year - I might have managed 40 hours test piloting on a couple of exceptional years.. It isn't viable as a main job - even for the majority of ex military people.
Come and join us in FT - it's a fantastic place to work, and you can make it as a TP on part 23 and lighter. But not in Europe, as a full time TP or in part 25 aircraft, without the military TP background. [In theory you could, but the number of people I've met who have done so are absolutely tiny.] On the other hand, within a broader aerospace engineering career, it is incredibly rewarding. It's also, needless to say, pretty tough to get into, so you'll really need to want to be here.
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Last edited by Genghis the Engineer; 30th Mar 2015 at 22:53.