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The differences between chief pilots and captains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a chief pilot, becoming a captain takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief pilot has an average salary of $86,920, which is higher than the $52,161 average annual salary of a captain.
The top three skills for a chief pilot include flight operations, pilot-in-command and PIC. The most important skills for a captain are customer service, safety standards, and food preparation.
| Chief Pilot | Captain | |
| Yearly salary | $86,920 | $52,161 |
| Hourly rate | $41.79 | $25.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 16,638 | 4,430 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A Chief Pilot assigns and oversees the duties of flight and ground personnel. They ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, including federal aviation regulations.
Captains oversee the entire operations of a sea vessel, usually ships. Their main responsibility is to ensure that the vessel safely travels from point A to point B. They are expert navigators who manage the course of the vessel. Captains should also be familiar with the different equipment aboard the ship and should be able to use them effectively. They should know how to properly maintain the equipment on board and should also know how to do repairs. Captains also manage their ship's crew and oversee the crews' overall performance. They also manage the finances and other operations-related activities during the course of their travel. Captains should have good communication skills, quick decision-making skills, and expert navigation skills.
Chief pilots and captains have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Pilot | Captain | |
| Average salary | $86,920 | $52,161 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $126,000 | Between $31,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | NetJets | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a chief pilot and a captain in terms of educational background:
| Chief Pilot | Captain | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between chief pilots' and captains' demographics:
| Chief Pilot | Captain | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 2.7% White, 81.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |