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The differences between chief pilots and pilot captains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a chief pilot and a pilot captain. Additionally, a chief pilot has an average salary of $86,920, which is higher than the $68,096 average annual salary of a pilot captain.
The top three skills for a chief pilot include flight operations, pilot-in-command and PIC. The most important skills for a pilot captain are PIC, FAA, and IFR.
| Chief Pilot | Pilot Captain | |
| Yearly salary | $86,920 | $68,096 |
| Hourly rate | $41.79 | $32.74 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,638 | 5,093 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A pilot captain is an experienced pilot who is primarily responsible for the flight, passengers, and crew. As the pilot with the highest authority in an aircraft, they are in charge of ensuring that all necessary procedures and safety checks are carried out before, during, and after flights. It is also their duty to conduct weather and flight plan checks, coordinate with air-traffic controllers and airport personnel while working together with co-pilots, and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.
Chief pilots and pilot captains have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Pilot | Pilot Captain | |
| Average salary | $86,920 | $68,096 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $126,000 | Between $57,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | NetJets | Wiggins Airways |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a chief pilot and a pilot captain in terms of educational background:
| Chief Pilot | Pilot Captain | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between chief pilots' and pilot captains' demographics:
| Chief Pilot | Pilot Captain | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| 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, 2.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |