Commercial pilot vs aircraft pilot

The differences between commercial pilots and aircraft 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 aircraft pilot. Additionally, a commercial pilot has an average salary of $94,406, which is higher than the $94,207 average annual salary of an aircraft pilot.

The top three skills for a commercial pilot include FAA, flight operations and pilot-in-command. The most important skills for an aircraft pilot are FAA, airspace, and mission planning.

Commercial pilot vs aircraft pilot overview

	Commercial Pilot	Aircraft Pilot
Yearly salary	$94,406	$94,207
Hourly rate	$45.39	$45.29
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	29,118	5,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Commercial pilot vs aircraft pilot salary

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

	Commercial Pilot	Aircraft Pilot
Average salary	$94,406	$94,207
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $139,000	Between $72,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	Jackson, CA	La Quinta, CA
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Realty World California	Michels
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Energy

Differences between commercial pilot and aircraft pilot education

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

	Commercial Pilot	Aircraft Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Commercial pilot vs aircraft pilot demographics

Here are the differences between commercial pilots' and aircraft pilots' demographics:

	Commercial Pilot	Aircraft Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%	Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratio	Black 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, 2.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between commercial pilot and aircraft 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.

Aircraft pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Conduct academic and flight training for USAF and international pilots in air-to-air combat tactics.
Plan, brief, execute and debrief air combat training missions.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
Coordinate with AATD and USMA to assist with visits to the UK.

Commercial pilot vs aircraft pilot skills

Common commercial pilot skills

FAA, 24%
Flight Operations, 12%
Pilot-In-Command, 11%
PIC, 11%
Flight Planning, 6%
Customer Service, 6%

Common aircraft pilot skills

FAA, 38%
Airspace, 11%
Mission Planning, 8%
UAS, 8%
Army Aviation, 6%
Combat, 6%

Commercial Pilot vs. similar jobs

Commercial Pilot related careers

Commercial Pilot related jobs

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Commercial Pilot
Commercial Pilot vs Aircraft Pilot

Updated January 8, 2025

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