Commercial pilot vs airline pilot

The differences between commercial pilots and airline 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 airline pilot. Additionally, a commercial pilot has an average salary of $94,406, which is higher than the $85,534 average annual salary of an airline pilot.

The top three skills for a commercial pilot include FAA, flight operations and pilot-in-command. The most important skills for an airline pilot are aircraft systems, FAA, and PIC.

Commercial pilot vs airline pilot overview

	Commercial Pilot	Airline Pilot
Yearly salary	$94,406	$85,534
Hourly rate	$45.39	$41.12
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	29,118	2,851
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Commercial pilot vs airline pilot salary

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

	Commercial Pilot	Airline Pilot
Average salary	$94,406	$85,534
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $139,000	Between $66,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City	Jackson, CA	Saint George, UT
Highest paying state	California	Oregon
Best paying company	Realty World California	Spirit Airlines
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Transportation

Differences between commercial pilot and airline pilot education

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

	Commercial Pilot	Airline Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Commercial pilot vs airline pilot demographics

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

	Commercial Pilot	Airline Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%	Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6%
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, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between commercial pilot and airline 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.

Airline 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.
Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.

Commercial pilot vs airline pilot skills

Common commercial pilot skills

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

Common airline pilot skills

Aircraft Systems, 35%
FAA, 13%
PIC, 12%
Flight Operations, 10%
Federal Aviation, 8%
Pilot-In-Command, 6%

Commercial Pilot vs. similar jobs

Commercial Pilot related careers

Commercial Pilot related jobs

What similar roles do

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Transportation Industry
Commercial Pilot
Commercial Pilot vs Airline Pilot

Updated January 8, 2025

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