Airline captain demographics and statistics in the US
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Airline captain demographics by:
Airline captain gender statistics
2.6% of airline captains are women and 97.4% of airline captains are men.
- Male, 97.4%
- Female, 2.6%
Airline captain gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 97.4% |
| Female | 2.6% |
Airline captain gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$70,920
Female income
$68,038
Airline captain gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in airline captain positions over time. Currently, 2.6% of airline captains are female.
Airline captain gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 97.92% | 2.08% |
| 2011 | 98.68% | 1.32% |
| 2012 | 97.36% | 2.64% |
| 2013 | 98.24% | 1.76% |
| 2014 | 97.98% | 2.02% |
| 2015 | 98.23% | 1.77% |
| 2016 | 97.17% | 2.83% |
| 2017 | 97.39% | 2.61% |
| 2018 | 97.38% | 2.62% |
| 2019 | 97.84% | 2.16% |
| 2020 | 97.54% | 2.46% |
| 2021 | 97.39% | 2.61% |
Airline captain related jobs gender ratio
We compared airline captains with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, airline transport pilot and combat control have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Flight Attendant | 16% | 84% |
| International Flight Attendant | 21% | 79% |
| Flight Attendant | 21% | 79% |
| Airline Captain | 97% | 3% |
| Agricultural Aviation Pilot | 98% | 2% |
| Combat Control | 98% | 2% |
| Airline Transport Pilot | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Airline captain demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among airline captains is White, which makes up 81.6% of all airline captains. Comparatively, 7.1% of airline captains are Hispanic or Latino and 5.6% of airline captains are Unknown.
- White, 81.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.1%
- Unknown, 5.6%
- Asian, 2.8%
- Black or African American, 2.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Airline captain race
| Airline captain race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 81.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.1% |
| Unknown | 5.6% |
| Asian | 2.8% |
| Black or African American | 2.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Airline captain race and ethnicity over time
See how airline captain racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Airline captain race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.57% | 2.28% | 1.41% | 6.26% |
| 2011 | 88.85% | 2.23% | 1.04% | 5.73% |
| 2012 | 88.05% | 2.81% | 1.57% | 5.60% |
| 2013 | 87.19% | 2.25% | 1.83% | 6.12% |
| 2014 | 87.79% | 2.45% | 1.60% | 5.86% |
| 2015 | 87.19% | 2.12% | 1.76% | 6.45% |
| 2016 | 86.47% | 1.87% | 1.67% | 6.83% |
| 2017 | 87.09% | 2.96% | 1.90% | 5.93% |
| 2018 | 85.39% | 2.15% | 1.99% | 7.46% |
| 2019 | 86.31% | 1.67% | 2.21% | 7.07% |
| 2020 | 82.74% | 2.53% | 2.80% | 7.44% |
| 2021 | 81.56% | 2.71% | 2.77% | 7.14% |
Airline captain wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown airline captains have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian airline captains have the lowest average salary at $65,334.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $74,486 |
| White | $73,364 |
| Black or African American | $71,664 |
| Asian | $65,334 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $70,119 |
Average airline captain age
See how the average age of airline captains varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Airline captain age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 46 | |
| White | 44 | 40 |
| Black or African American | 46.5 | |
| Asian | 34 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 44 |
Airline captain age breakdown
The average age of airline captains is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the airline captain population.
Airline captain age breakdown
| Airline Captain Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Airline captain educational attainment
The most common degree for airline captains is bachelor's degree, with 63% of airline captains earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Airline captains by degree level
| Airline captain degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 63% |
| Associate | 15% |
| Master's | 11% |
| High School Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Airline captain jobs you might like
Airline captain wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $76,047 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $74,396 |
Airline captain employment statistics
Company size where airline captains work
Below, you can see the size of companies where airline captains work.
Airline captain jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 3% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 33% |
| > 10,000 employees | 28% |
Airline captain jobs by industry
The most common industries for airline captains are transportation, technology and finance.
Airline captain industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 47% |
| Fortune 500 | 16% |
| Technology | 14% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Insurance | 5% |
| Education | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Professional | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
Airline captain turnover and employment statistics
Airline captain unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for airline captains between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Airline captain unemployment rate by year
| Year | Airline captain unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.56% |
| 2011 | 2.99% |
| 2012 | 2.30% |
| 2013 | 2.29% |
| 2014 | 2.11% |
| 2015 | 1.19% |
| 2016 | 0.95% |
| 2017 | 1.24% |
| 2018 | 0.65% |
| 2019 | 0.93% |
| 2020 | 1.69% |
| 2021 | 2.31% |
Average airline captain tenure
The average airline captain stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 122 airline captains resumes in Zippia's database.
Airline captain tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 7% |
| 1-2 years | 10% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 45% |
Airline captain LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of airline captains that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Valet Driver | 3.71% | 139,213 |
| Packer/Shipper | 4.53% | 17,034 |
| Car Detailer | 4.91% | 11,302 |
| Airline Captain | 8.59% | - |
| Flight Follower | 13.04% | 1,490 |
| Ship Steward | 15.05% | 42,173 |
| Flight Attendant, Inflight Services | 31.52% | 97,692 |
Similar airline captain jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Valet Driver | 3.71% | 139,213 |
| Packer/Shipper | 4.53% | 17,034 |
| Car Detailer | 4.91% | 11,302 |
| Flight Follower | 13.04% | 1,490 |
| Ship Steward | 15.05% | 42,173 |
| Flight Attendant, Inflight Services | 31.52% | 97,692 |
Foreign languages spoken by airline captains
The most common foreign language among airline captains is Spanish at 50.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Carrier at 25.0% and Vietnamese is the third-most popular at 25.0%.
- Spanish, 50.0%
- Carrier, 25.0%
- Vietnamese, 25.0%
Airline captain languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 50.0% |
| Carrier | 25.0% |
| Vietnamese | 25.0% |