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The differences between air tour pilots and pilot instructors 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 tour pilot and a pilot instructor. Additionally, an air tour pilot has an average salary of $101,440, which is higher than the $90,143 average annual salary of a pilot instructor.
The top three skills for an air tour pilot include PIC, customer service and UAV. The most important skills for a pilot instructor are FAA, simulator, and instructor pilot.
| Air Tour Pilot | Pilot Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $101,440 | $90,143 |
| Hourly rate | $48.77 | $43.34 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 3,885 | 26,978 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Air Tour Pilots fly and navigate helicopters, planes, or any other aircraft providing rides to tourists. The pilot's transport passengers between local destinations, answer queries regarding the areas they pass by, or explain sightseeing opportunities. They usually work for certain companies to transport cargo on their fixed schedules. They conduct safety audits for operations specifications to ensure that the aircraft operates within the safety margins. Also, they take part in station leadership teams representing flight operations.
The key role of a Pilot Instructor is to teach students procedures and techniques about how to fly aircraft. They offer instruction for both on the ground and in the sky, prepare lesson plans, and assess and monitor students performance.
Air tour pilots and pilot instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Air Tour Pilot | Pilot Instructor | |
| Average salary | $101,440 | $90,143 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $131,000 | Between $60,000 And $133,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | OBXtek |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an air tour pilot and a pilot instructor in terms of educational background:
| Air Tour Pilot | Pilot Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between air tour pilots' and pilot instructors' demographics:
| Air Tour Pilot | Pilot Instructor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.1% Female, 2.9% | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% |
| 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, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |