Certified instructor vs flight instructor

The differences between certified instructors and flight instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a certified instructor and a flight instructor. Additionally, a certified instructor has an average salary of $55,733, which is higher than the $51,324 average annual salary of a flight instructor.

The top three skills for a certified instructor include CPR, course content and yoga. The most important skills for a flight instructor are aircraft systems, syllabus, and CFI.

Certified instructor vs flight instructor overview

	Certified Instructor	Flight Instructor
Yearly salary	$55,733	$51,324
Hourly rate	$26.79	$24.68
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	70,136	25,735
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

Certified instructor vs flight instructor salary

Certified instructors and flight instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Certified Instructor	Flight Instructor
Average salary	$55,733	$51,324
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $91,000	Between $32,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	-	Atwater, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Cirrus Aircraft
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between certified instructor and flight instructor education

There are a few differences between a certified instructor and a flight instructor in terms of educational background:

	Certified Instructor	Flight Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Aviation
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Certified instructor vs flight instructor demographics

Here are the differences between certified instructors' and flight instructors' demographics:

	Certified Instructor	Flight Instructor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 11.4% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between certified instructor and flight instructor duties and responsibilities

Certified instructor example responsibilities.

Manage a host multi-server Linux operating environment in support of those systems.
Develop and execute syllabus, coursework, workshops and final exams.
Develop the Estonian core syllabus base on leading current Estonian materials.
Become a subject matter expertise (SME) to other agencies.
Educate and mentore students to improve their skills in both mathematics and reading.
Adhere to DoD regulations and guidelines to ensure all work are performed to standard.

Flight instructor example responsibilities.

Manage the daily maintenance efforts for 9 P-3C aircraft to meet short and long range flight tasking.
Manage and monitor all flight systems and electrical in-flight avionics of various commercial aircraft equipment types.
Conduct training using, CBT, stand-up lectures, PowerPoint, Wicat 2D FMS, and FTD trainers.
Diagnose, troubleshoot malfunctions and perform extensive maintenance operational checks on all systems.
Create and maintain training records for USAF students.
Maintain relationships with both local DPE's and FBO managers.

Certified instructor vs flight instructor skills

Common certified instructor skills

CPR, 31%
Course Content, 21%
Yoga, 9%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Curriculum Development, 5%
Classroom Management, 5%

Common flight instructor skills

Aircraft Systems, 9%
Syllabus, 8%
CFI, 8%
Flight Operations, 6%
Training Programs, 5%
PowerPoint, 5%

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Certified Instructor vs Flight Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

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