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The differences between airline pilots and software engineers 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 software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Airline Pilot | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,534 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $41.12 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 2,851 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Airline pilots and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Airline Pilot | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,534 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $110,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Saint George, UT | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Spirit Airlines | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an airline pilot and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Airline Pilot | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Computer Science |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between airline pilots' and software engineers' demographics:
| Airline Pilot | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |