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Astronaut vs commercial pilot

The differences between astronauts and commercial 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 astronaut and a commercial pilot. Additionally, a commercial pilot has an average salary of $94,406, which is higher than the $73,142 average annual salary of an astronaut.

Astronaut vs commercial pilot overview

AstronautCommercial Pilot
Yearly salary$73,142$94,406
Hourly rate$35.16$45.39
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs19829,118
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 100%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Astronaut vs commercial pilot salary

Astronauts and commercial pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

AstronautCommercial Pilot
Average salary$73,142$94,406
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $111,000Between $63,000 And $139,000
Highest paying City-Jackson, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Realty World California
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between astronaut and commercial pilot education

There are a few differences between an astronaut and a commercial pilot in terms of educational background:

AstronautCommercial Pilot
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 100%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorAerospace EngineeringAviation
Most common collegeUniversity of Texas at AustinSUNY Farmingdale

Astronaut vs commercial pilot demographics

Here are the differences between astronauts' and commercial pilots' demographics:

AstronautCommercial Pilot
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 87.5% Female, 12.5%Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 2.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% Asian, 2.5% White, 84.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between astronaut and commercial pilot duties and responsibilities

Astronaut example responsibilities.

  • Spearhead implementation of new scheduling tool that eliminate syllabus deviations, adopt as squadron standard.
  • Coordinate bi-national testing of aircraft countermeasures against next-generation missile seekers.

Commercial pilot example responsibilities.

  • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
  • Instruct pilots in recurrent flight training and grind school for aircraft systems, FAA regulations, company policies and procedures.
  • Grind school, IFR and advance simulator training.
  • Monitor and ensure compliance with establish policies, directives, and FAA operation specifications.
  • Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
  • Arm airborne helicopter escort and SAR operations.
  • Show more

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