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Astronaut vs helicopter pilot

The differences between astronauts and helicopter 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 helicopter pilot. Additionally, a helicopter pilot has an average salary of $89,418, which is higher than the $73,142 average annual salary of an astronaut.

Astronaut vs helicopter pilot overview

AstronautHelicopter Pilot
Yearly salary$73,142$89,418
Hourly rate$35.16$42.99
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs1984,054
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 100%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Astronaut vs helicopter pilot salary

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

AstronautHelicopter Pilot
Average salary$73,142$89,418
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $111,000Between $62,000 And $128,000
Highest paying City-Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Brainerd Chemical Co
Best paying industry-Transportation

Differences between astronaut and helicopter pilot education

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

AstronautHelicopter Pilot
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 100%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorAerospace EngineeringAviation
Most common collegeUniversity of Texas at AustinUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Astronaut vs helicopter pilot demographics

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

AstronautHelicopter Pilot
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 87.5% Female, 12.5%Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5%
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, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between astronaut and helicopter 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.

Helicopter pilot example responsibilities.

  • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
  • Train in robinson r22 and r44
  • Ensure compliance with all OSHA and EPA regulations.
  • Operate in IFR and marginal weather conditions between multiple states.
  • Maintain program compliance with OSHA, DOD, and other local agencies as required by regulations.
  • Ferry and sightseeing flights done at request of management in accordance with 14 CFR part 91.
  • Show more

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