Commercial pilot vs aviator

The differences between commercial pilots and aviators 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 aviator. Additionally, an aviator has an average salary of $97,217, 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 aviator are aircraft systems, flight safety, and flight training.

Commercial pilot vs aviator overview

	Commercial Pilot	Aviator
Yearly salary	$94,406	$97,217
Hourly rate	$45.39	$46.74
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	29,118	3,482
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 86%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Commercial pilot vs aviator salary

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

	Commercial Pilot	Aviator
Average salary	$94,406	$97,217
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $139,000	Between $76,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	Jackson, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Realty World California	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between commercial pilot and aviator education

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

	Commercial Pilot	Aviator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 86%
Most common major	Aviation	Aerospace Engineering
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	Stanford University

Commercial pilot vs aviator demographics

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

	Commercial Pilot	Aviator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%
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, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 2.7% White, 81.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between commercial pilot and aviator 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.

Aviator example responsibilities.

Lead first successful DoD disaster recovery program utilizing a commercial backup.
Assist in select flying operations during a USAF training team visit.
Land aircraft with critical malfunctions, preserving millions of dollars in ISR assets.
Project manager; organize & execute complex research projects for DoD & interagency customers.
Progress to PIC, follow by appointment as company check airman for the Westwind.
Experience with multiple specialty payload platforms expanding on the versatile nature of the UAS platform.

Commercial pilot vs aviator skills

Common commercial pilot skills

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

Common aviator skills

Aircraft Systems, 36%
Flight Safety, 32%
Flight Training, 30%
Fixed Wing Aircraft, 0%
Emergency Procedures, 0%
Helicopter Training, 0%