Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between air force pilots and pilots can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an air force pilot and a pilot. Additionally, an air force pilot has an average salary of $98,196, which is higher than the $83,128 average annual salary of a pilot.
The top three skills for an air force pilot include FAA, flight operations and USAF. The most important skills for a pilot are PIC, pilot-in-command, and flight operations.
| Air Force Pilot | Pilot | |
| Yearly salary | $98,196 | $83,128 |
| Hourly rate | $47.21 | $39.97 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 3,867 | 3,049 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Primarily, an Air Force pilot flies aircraft such as bombers, transport planes, unmanned aerial vehicles, and tankers in the U.S. The pilots command their crews to complete training, combat, and other missions. They serve as military aviators who are trained to engage in air-to-ground and air-to-air combat. It is important that they master aviation skills, train, and lead flight crews, and perform flight operations. When not flying, they lead and manage the aircraft maintenance department crew.
A pilot is an individual who works in the aviation industry to operate aircraft and transport passengers and cargos from one location to another. Pilots can fly and navigate different types of aircrafts such as helicopters, large commercial aircraft, or cargo planes. They must perform pre-flight inspections and check flight logs to secure safety for all crews and passengers who are on board. Pilots can also decide to work as flight instructors or establish an aviation school when they have gained enough experience in the aviation industry.
Air force pilots and pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Air Force Pilot | Pilot | |
| Average salary | $98,196 | $83,128 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $130,000 | Between $58,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | HP |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an air force pilot and a pilot in terms of educational background:
| Air Force Pilot | Pilot | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between air force pilots' and pilots' demographics:
| Air Force Pilot | Pilot | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.0% Female, 20.0% | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |