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Commercial pilot vs air tour pilot

The differences between commercial pilots and air tour pilots can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a commercial pilot and an air tour pilot. Additionally, an air tour pilot has an average salary of $101,440, which is higher than the $94,406 average annual salary of a commercial pilot.

The top three skills for a commercial pilot include FAA, flight operations and pilot-in-command. The most important skills for an air tour pilot are PIC, customer service, and UAV.

Commercial pilot vs air tour pilot overview

Commercial PilotAir Tour Pilot
Yearly salary$94,406$101,440
Hourly rate$45.39$48.77
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs29,1183,885
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Commercial pilot vs air tour pilot salary

Commercial pilots and air tour pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

Commercial PilotAir Tour Pilot
Average salary$94,406$101,440
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $139,000Between $78,000 And $131,000
Highest paying CityJackson, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyRealty World California-
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between commercial pilot and air tour pilot education

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

Commercial PilotAir Tour Pilot
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorAviationAviation
Most common collegeSUNY FarmingdaleSUNY Farmingdale

Commercial pilot vs air tour pilot demographics

Here are the differences between commercial pilots' and air tour pilots' demographics:

Commercial PilotAir Tour Pilot
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 91.9% Female, 8.1%Male, 97.1% Female, 2.9%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between commercial pilot and air tour pilot duties and responsibilities

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

Air tour pilot example responsibilities.

  • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
  • Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
  • Perform air refueling, airlift, navigation, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Commercial pilot vs air tour pilot skills

Common commercial pilot skills
  • FAA, 24%
  • Flight Operations, 12%
  • Pilot-In-Command, 11%
  • PIC, 11%
  • Flight Planning, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
Common air tour pilot skills
  • PIC, 94%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • UAV, 2%

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