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Airline pilot vs charter pilot

The differences between airline pilots and charter 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 airline pilot and a charter pilot. Additionally, a charter pilot has an average salary of $87,597, which is higher than the $85,534 average annual salary of an airline pilot.

The top three skills for an airline pilot include aircraft systems, FAA and PIC. The most important skills for a charter pilot are on-demand, pilot-in-command, and FAA.

Airline pilot vs charter pilot overview

Airline PilotCharter Pilot
Yearly salary$85,534$87,597
Hourly rate$41.12$42.11
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs2,8512,711
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Airline pilot vs charter pilot salary

Airline pilots and charter pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

Airline PilotCharter Pilot
Average salary$85,534$87,597
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $110,000Between $65,000 And $118,000
Highest paying CitySaint George, UT-
Highest paying stateOregon-
Best paying companySpirit Airlines-
Best paying industryTransportation-

Differences between airline pilot and charter pilot education

There are a few differences between an airline pilot and a charter pilot in terms of educational background:

Airline PilotCharter Pilot
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorAviationAviation
Most common collegeSUNY FarmingdaleSUNY Farmingdale

Airline pilot vs charter pilot demographics

Here are the differences between airline pilots' and charter pilots' demographics:

Airline PilotCharter Pilot
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 92.4% Female, 7.6%Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.0% 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 Percentage9%9%

Differences between airline pilot and charter pilot duties and responsibilities

Airline pilot example responsibilities.

  • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
  • Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
  • Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.

Charter pilot example responsibilities.

  • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
  • Develop and implement operational and administrative policies to align company policies and procedures with government (FAA) regulatory guidelines.
  • Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.

Airline pilot vs charter pilot skills

Common airline pilot skills
  • Aircraft Systems, 35%
  • FAA, 13%
  • PIC, 12%
  • Flight Operations, 10%
  • Federal Aviation, 8%
  • Pilot-In-Command, 6%
Common charter pilot skills
  • On-Demand, 32%
  • Pilot-In-Command, 21%
  • FAA, 20%
  • PIC, 19%
  • Flight Operations, 8%

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