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The differences between corporate 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 corporate pilot and a pilot captain. Additionally, a corporate pilot has an average salary of $87,661, which is higher than the $68,096 average annual salary of a pilot captain.
The top three skills for a corporate pilot include FAA, pilot-in-command and PIC. The most important skills for a pilot captain are PIC, FAA, and IFR.
| Corporate Pilot | Pilot Captain | |
| Yearly salary | $87,661 | $68,096 |
| Hourly rate | $42.14 | $32.74 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 12,371 | 5,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Typically working for large companies, a corporate pilot's role is to operate company aircraft for official work trips. Their responsibilities include coordinating with airports, directing and overseeing flight crew, preparing and processing documentation, and adhering to all the protocols and safety checks to ensure safety and efficiency. There are also instances where they must meet and greet passengers, file itinerary plans, and resolve issues and concerns. Furthermore, a corporate pilot must perform regular inspections and maintain an active communication line with staff on land and within the aircraft.
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.
Corporate pilots and pilot captains have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Pilot | Pilot Captain | |
| Average salary | $87,661 | $68,096 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $120,000 | Between $57,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Wiggins Airways |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a corporate pilot and a pilot captain in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Pilot | Pilot Captain | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aviation |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between corporate pilots' and pilot captains' demographics:
| Corporate Pilot | Pilot Captain | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.0% Female, 6.0% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |